Metamorphosis
by Angelic Candy
Summary: Harry takes an unexpected risk to stop Voldemort from acquiring a powerful item.In doing so,he uncovers a dangerous secret the Order has been protecting.He must prevent Voldemort from getting to the secret or else risk Voldemort becoming unstoppable.
1. Prologue

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Metamorphosis 

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***Author's note: I have decided to post my new Harry Potter story to make up for the delay in updating my other ones. *sighs* I'm working on it, I promise. Sick Pleasures should be up soon. I also have another recent one: Darkness Falls, that can tide you over until I get to updating all the stories. I am also going to be updating Love Your Enemies shortly after. Please bear me!! Thanks! _~Candy_

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Story note: Takes place right after the fifth book. The summer before Harry's sixth year. If you read carefully you can see he hasn't turned sixteen yet. There are **Order of the Phoenix spoilers**, naturally, since this is taking place after the fifth book. 

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Prologue: 

The wind howled loudly against the stormy night, nearly drowning out the deafening thunder that crackled through the sky. Every so often lightning would flash threateningly, but disappear a second after. It was unusual weather for the summertime in early July. Instead of people walking about the streets late at night in the warm summer atmosphere they were forced indoors. 

The house that stood at the edge of Privet Drive was the only one with a window open, letting some of the cool air along with water droplets trickle in. Unnoticed by anyone in the shadows of the stormy sky, a small white figure flew against the pouring rain, heading straight for the open window. Powerful snowy-white wings glided the beautiful owl onto the windowsill, despite the harsh winds. 

The owl ruffled her feathers to throw off any excess droplets of water, nipping occasionally until she was satisfied. A sound came from inside the room as the door opened, soft footsteps following suit. The owl looked up at the sudden intrusion, blinking her bright yellow eyes. 

"Hedwig, there you are," a soft voice spoke from the dark of the room. 

A small light on the bureau beside the bed was turned on, illuminating the figure that called out to her. Realizing that it was her owner she hooted and flew over to him, landing softly on his outstretched arm. 

"Did you have a nice flight?" Harry smiled, stroking her feathers. 

She hooted again, nipping his finger with affection as he strolled over to the window to close it. After the window was closed and the mess of water dripping off the windowsill was cleaned up, Harry led her over to her cage, which was filled with fresh food he had stolen from the kitchen after cleaning the dishes. She flew gracefully into the cage and began nipping hungrily at the bits of toast, egg salad and other bits of food. 

Harry stood watching her for several seconds before seated himself on his bed. Silence washed over the room as he stared out the window, watching the rain hit against the window. Another bolt of lightning flashed, the strange shape in the gleaming light causing Harry to touch the familiar scar upon his forehead. Harry sighed, his gaze dropping from the window as he pushed himself up farther to lay down on his bed. He stared up at the ceiling for several minutes, pondering as the silence continued except for the occasional ruffle of feathers. 

"Can you believe it's been almost two months since Sirius died?" Harry spoke aloud, directing the question toward Hedwig but not expecting an answer. 

Hedwig was all he usually had over the summer. Even though she couldn't respond she could feel his pain, or unhappiness and was at least company from the Dursleys, who had taken to ignoring Harry completely. Sirius Black was still at large in the muggle world; all of them oblivious to the event that had taken place only months before in the wizard world. 

Harry sighed and turned over to stare out the window while laying down. The summer seemed to go by so slow, as if the days passing were months. Harry had been forced to cease contact with the wizard world, including letters from friends, the Daily Prophet, anything at all. Dumbledore hadn't told him directly, but Harry had gotten a call from Hermione who, unlike Ron, knew how to use a telephone. It was safe for Hermione to contact him that way since she still lived in the muggle world as well. 

The Dursleys hadn't seemed to care what he did or who he spoke to. Harry had a pretty good idea that it was because of the previous year when a Dementor had almost gotten to Dudley. Although neither of them would admit it, his aunt and uncle were grateful that Harry had saved him, even if he had had to use magic. So instead of pestering him and making his life miserable, in a subtle way of thanking him they had just decided to ignore him, which Harry in fact appreciated. 

None of the Dursleys, nor even the wizard world as of yet, knew that Sirius Black was dead. Harry was glad his relatives didn't know since it would make it harder for him to recover. Almost every night Harry would get nightmares about Sirius' death, or something in which he could always see Sirius but never reach him. It was hard to cope with and painful. His friends couldn't even write to him to make him feel better. So Harry had gone into a bought of silence, only talking when he was alone with Hedwig. 

The sound of rain against the window, and the wind howling in the distance, somehow eased his anxiety. Harry's exhausted body relaxed as his eyes began drifting closed. The many nights in which he stayed awake to prevent nightmares about Sirius, or Voldemort, had finally begun to effect him. His breathing had slowed until he was taking deep even breaths. As he relaxed completely, sleep began to overtake him…

"Harry!" a stern voice called out to him. 

Harry stirred slightly, not sure if he was dreaming or not. His body relaxed again as he began to fall back into a slumber. 

"HARRY GET DOWN HERE!"

He groaned as he lifted himself off the bed, rubbing his eyes gently. For once he had been relaxed enough to fall into a peaceful slumber, until his uncle's screaming had woken him. It was the first time in the whole summer that a word had even been spoken to him. And it just so happened that he was supposedly in trouble from the stern, angry voice of his uncle. 

He had expected the Dursleys to be getting ready for bed, since Dudley had been going to a day camp, supposedly to help him lose weight along with other children going there. But instead, Dudley only seemed to get thicker in his arms when he was occasionally swiping at Harry every so often. Harry had a gut feeling Dudley snuck treats, with some of his new camp buddies, from the people in charge of watching the camp. From the sound of it, he seemed to be enjoying himself and happily discussed every detail to his parents, even while eating salad, or healthy dietary suppers that usually tasted bland. 

Harry of course had been forced to eat whatever they ate, but since they no longer were paying much attention to him he usually snuck snacks upstairs, which were the hidden treats Uncle Vernon kept in the floorboard in his room. Harry though had been keen enough to step on it while searching through their room when they were away picking Dudley up from camp. 

The stairs creaked beneath him as he trudged down them, trying his best not to yawn. He hadn't remembered doing anything wrong, or anything at all. For the past several days he had shut himself in his room, eating the snacks he had stashed up over a period of several weeks. Any missing food was either blamed on rats or mistaken for something they figured they just didn't remember eating. 

The Dursleys were huddle together in the sitting area, as if discussing something of importance when Harry entered. They all looked up at him strangely as he came into view. 

"What is it?" Harry asked casually, hoping his voice didn't sound strained or demanding. 

"There is something _abnormal _going on," Vernon snapped quietly. "And if you have done anything boy…"

"I haven't done anything," Harry said flatly. "I'm not allowed to remember? If I get another warning from the Ministry I probably won't even get a hearing and will just be expelled from Hogwarts."

Uncle Vernon's face flushed an angry shade as if he was about to retort, but instead stared at him harshly. 

"Then what is that bloody sound?"

Harry tensed, clearing his mind to listen to whatever his uncle was complaining about. He didn't hear anything unusual, only the rain and occasional thunder. He listened closely, not noticing the Dursleys watching him intently. Harry's eyes squinted as he tried to hear past the rain and thunder. There was something. It was a buzzing sound, much like a bee, only more of a hum. Harry lifted his head and began walking slowly around the room to find where the sound was coming from. 

"I think it's coming from the sink," Harry said. 

"See Vernon, it could just be the plumbing," Aunt Petunia spoke up, reassuring him. 

"That's some strange bloody plumbing if you ask me!" he huffed, his cheeks puffing out as he did so. 

Dudley, who had been staring at them for several minutes in silence, was looking more frightened. Although he was a big bully at school, Harry could tell Dudley was much more afraid of him, despite the occasionally swipes he got from him. 

_It makes sense. He almost got his soul sucked out. _

"F-father," Dudley stammered fearfully, "maybe you should take the pipes out so it'll stop doing that."

Harry had the urge to look at him as if he were crazy but held his composure. Dudley still wasn't the brightest bulb, in fact, he was practically failing all his classes, but Harry knew it was just out of fear that it was something magical. Harry couldn't think of anything that could magical with a sink, but he remained silent as his uncle approached the sink. 

Vernon held the newspaper he was reading in one hand folded up, as if the sink would bit him. Harry didn't move from his spot as he watched closely. Dudley had wrapped his arms around his mom as he watched his father. Vernon took a few steps closer, bending down to look inside the sink disposal. He tapped the spout several times and even cleaned out the disposal, finally lowering the newspaper with a sigh. 

"It's perfectly fine Dudley."

Just as he said that, a high pitched hum broke the tense atmosphere as water sprayed out of the disposal. Dudley had yelped with fear and lost his balance from the couch. Vernon had been just as startled holding the newspaper out in front of him like a shield. The water finally stopped spraying, but a gurgling sound was replaced instead of the humming sound. Harry stared at the sink, wondering if that kind of plumbing problem was normal. Suddenly, the sink exploded with light, causing Vernon to stumble backward, crashing into the table. Petunia let out a squeak of surprise and covered her mouth, wide-eyed, while Dudley practically tried to hide under the pillows on the couch. 

The light seemed to be cascading out with a strange bright blue tint to it. It began to shrink and shrink until it was a small blob. Right before their eyes, the light disappeared and something fluttered onto the counter. Harry approached it, since Vernon was too afraid to see what it was. He reached down and picked up the letter, reading the writing. It was addressed to: _Harry Potter &The Residents at 4 Privet Drive. _Harry recognized the handwriting anywhere. 

"It's from Dumbledore," Harry said quietly, not sure that they could even hear what he said. 

Uncle Vernon, however, stood up again red-faced and holding the newspaper out threateningly. 

"And what is he doing using that bloody abnormality in my house?!" he yelled angrily. 

Harry bit his tongue from saying anything that would upset him further, "Dumbledore said he would only contact me if it was an emergency."

His uncle glared at him harshly, hand clenched firmly around the newspaper but instead of approaching him he stomped over to the living room and sat on the couch. 

"Read it aloud boy, this concerns my family as well," Vernon said gruffly. 

Harry wanted to take it upstairs and read it himself, slowly so that it would last longer. It was his first letter all summer long and he didn't want to have to read it aloud for it to end in less than five minutes. However, he also didn't want to upset the Dursleys. They had been doing him a favor by going out at nights, while Dudley was sleeping over with some friends doing something illegal or bothering the neighbors over there, leaving Harry to enjoy the peace that was left with him. Hedwig also enjoyed being let out whenever she pleased and flapping around inside to pick at some food. 

The feeling of excitement drained away as Harry opened the letter to read it aloud. A part of him was extremely thankful Dumbledore wrote to him (and the Dursleys), but at the same time he knew that Dumbledore wasn't just writing to say hi. Something had come up and he felt the need to alert Harry right away. Harry unfolded the letter and cleared his throat. 

"_'Dear Harry, and Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, as it has all ready been established, the wizard world is beginning to understand the events that have occurred here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The people are just coming to terms with the knowledge of Lord Voldemort's return. There have been many disappearances of certain witches and wizards, some of which who are directly connected to myself or the Ministry of Magic,' _" Harry paused to lick his lips, wondering why Dumbledore was speaking of several references of the wizard world to his aunt and uncle. 

"_'For the past several months, shortly after the event that took place inside the Ministry of Magic, the Order and I have been working with Minister Fudge and the aurors to keep track of Lord Voldemort. Even with the help of the Ministry there is no way to tell what he is planning. It seems he is attacking homes now in an unorganized pattern, and he does not stay in one place very long. I fear that perhaps this is a diversion for something bigger. _

"_'I do not want to frighten your family, for it is true the charm placed upon that house in untraceable to him, but as in the past, Lord Voldemort's attempts to distract my attention, kill those he needs to without leaving a trace behind, and not failing to surprise me with how carefully thought out his plans have been, have all led to one thing. And that is to capture Harry Potter…' _" 

Harry's throat tightened as the words left his lips, hoping that the Dursleys hadn't noticed the slight paling of his face. He knew that Voldemort had been after him all those years, he just didn't need the Dursleys to hear it. Harry licked his lips again, feeling that his throat was now dry and refused to look at his relatives. Instead, he finished reading the letter. 

"_'Harry must not use any magic whatsoever for Voldemort will be able to trace him almost instantly. This, I fear, has been Voldemort's goal since he lost the last battle and the prophecy he was searching for. He is trying to locate the exact position of the house, for he has known which city since the previous year. _

"_'As long as the charm stays put Voldemort cannot reach the house unless he knows which charm has been placed on the house. That knowledge is only known by myself and a select few of which are with me. That does not mean, however, that he won't try. The Dementors working for him will surely show up again and try to pinpoint the exact house to bide him some time so that he may figure out how to get past my protection. Until I am able to personally come down there, I urge you to stay away from windows unless you are seen by Dementors, and keep the doors locked. The Ministry and I are working on another plan to ensure the safety of everyone. Please do not contact me back. _

"_'Sincerely yours, Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.' _"

The silence that reigned over the room was full of an awkward tenseness. Harry had been staring down at the letter, barley aware that he had finished reading it. None of it seemed real…That Voldemort was after him, looking for him now in the muggle world, or that he, Harry, had fought him numerous times against unexpected obstacles and was still in one piece, or that there had been a prophecy concerning him and Voldemort in which only one would survive, or that Sirius had died…

The newspaper was suddenly slammed down upon the table, causing Aunt Petunia to let out another shriek and Harry to jump slightly. Vernon's face had turned a very familiar and discomforting purple hue as he turned to glare daggers at Harry, as if he had planned all of it. 

"That's it?!" he snapped, spit flying from his mouth. "My family is in danger and he expects us to stay around? I WILL NOT LISTEN TO THIS BUMBLING FOOL!" he roared. 

"He's not a fool!" Harry blurted out heatedly, causing his uncle to veer in his direction again. "He's one of the main reasons I've survived this long! He knows what he's doing!"

"HE'S PUTTING US ALL IN DANGER!" his uncle roared, standing up with the newspaper still clenched in a death grip. "A maniac killer is on the loose and he expects us to stay put when Volde-what's-his-face is looking for _this _house?! He's bloody insane, that's what he is! And we're _not _staying here!"

Vernon threw the newspaper on the table and stomped past Harry toward the stairs. Petunia made a small noise and quickly followed him out with Dudley practically glued to her side. Harry stayed put, standing in the kitchen with his fists clenched. Without being able to get in touch with Dumbledore, Harry couldn't ask him what to do. If his uncle was serious about leaving, they'd be leaving the safety of the charm on the house, making it easier for Voldemort to find him once he figured out how to get into the muggle world undetected. 

Ten minutes later, his uncle came tramping down the stairs, two suitcases in hand with his aunt and cousin following behind him. Petunia still looked very pale and frightened and Dudley still hadn't said a word. Harry was beginning to think it was a very bad idea. 

"All right, do you have your suitcases?" Vernon asked, turning to his wife and son. 

Dudley had three suitcases and Petunia only had one. 

"I'm afraid we can't take all three Dudley," Vernon said, his tone saying there was no discussion. 

"But father!" Dudley whined. 

"We can come back for your birthday presents when we are sure it's safe!" Vernon said sharply, grabbing two of the three suitcases. 

"It's all right darling, we'll get you some more presents or better yet extra Christmas presents!" Petunia tried to smile and comfort her son. 

Dudley made a whining noise but opted to cross his large arms over his chest. Vernon had left to put the suitcases in the car, returning quickly with his car keys in hand. 

"All right, we're ready to go!" 

"I don't think we should," Harry interrupted, hoping that his uncle wouldn't go off on him like he usually did. He had a feeling it was much too dangerous. 

Uncle Vernon turned towards him sharply, "We? _You're _not coming."

"Not coming?! What do you mean? I'm the one Voldemort is looking for! You can't just leave me here alone!" Harry shouted, not caring if he was scolded for yelling. His relatives had been cruel to him his whole life, but never this cruel. They had cared for his life enough to seal the charm when he first came to them, though his uncle had almost thrown him out the previous year. 

Harry turned abruptly to his aunt, "What about the promise you made to Dumbledore? You said you'd let me stay with you to keep the charm sealed!" 

Petunia turned pale and swallowed, "He's right Vernon, we did make that deal," she said quietly, barley audible. 

"WE CAN'T TAKE HIM WITH US, IT'S SUICIDE!" Vernon yelled, causing Dudley to jump back, his large body wobbling from the force. "If he comes with us then that…that Volly…Volsky…you know, the bloody maniacwill find us easier! He has the boy on a magical radar! Then we'd all be dead for sure anyway!" 

"So what am I supposed to do then?" Harry asked dryly, glaring at his uncle with as much hatred as he could muster. 

Vernon took a deep breath to calm himself, still red in the face from yelling, "You can go with your abnormal friends, what do I care! Go wherever you can! But _we _have to leave!"

"I can't contact my friends, I'm not allowed to! If I try to send them a letter it might not get to them and be intercepted by the wrong hands! Besides, Dumbledore said going to the wizard world would be much more dangerous for me! Voldemort would be able to find me easier there!" Harry shouted back, enraged that his uncle was seriously just going to leave him to die. 

"Well you can't come with us!" 

"SO YOU'RE JUST GOING TO LEAVE ME HERE TO DIE?!" Harry roared, his temper getting the best of him. 

His uncle backed away slightly, probably afraid Harry would use magic. Upon realizing it was a danger to him he became purple-faced again. 

"We have no choice!" he spat. "We are not responsible for this!"

"We're not murderers either, Vernon!" Petunia squeaked, her voice raising much more than Harry had ever heard her. 

Vernon turned to his wife, glaring at her for interrupting, but Petunia wouldn't back down this time. She had enough dignity to at least keep a promise, or perhaps the guilt of letting Harry die, no matter how insignificant he was to them, in their household, would be too much for her skinny, fragile body. Dudley still remained silent and quite pale, looking back and forth between his parents like a fearful puppy. 

Vernon finally took another deep breath, trying to calm himself down so he wouldn't scream at his wife. He rubbed his head and finally stared at his wife as calmly as he could. 

"Dumblybore— "

"Dumbledore," Harry corrected angrily. 

"Whatever! He said the boy was safer here! If he came with us that crazy maniac would find all of us anyway! _Dumbledore_," he emphasized casting a glare toward Harry, "said he would be here as soon as he could! The boy will be safe here until he comes!"

"But what if Voldemort comes first? Or worse, Dementors! If I use magic to defend myself from them, Voldemort will be able to find me then!" Harry said, more calmly, but still with a bitter tone. 

"If you're supposedly the most powerful wizard to defeat this maniac before, then you can do it again!" Vernon snapped. "We are leaving, _NOW_!" 

Petunia grabbed Dudley's arm and began leading him outside, her fear overpowering her. Vernon followed right behind them, locking the door without another glance at Harry, who was silently fuming. He was so angry he felt like hexing them all but he knew he couldn't, and his uncle knew he couldn't. So now, he was stuck in the Dursleys' home, all alone and unable to defend himself while Voldemort was searching for him. 

At first, the anger coursed through him until he thought he'd smash everything around him. Then fear began to envelope him as the idea of the complete situation crossed his mind. He was alone in the house, and Dementors knew where to find him, and soon Voldemort would too…

Harry's heart immediately began to race as he ran upstairs to his room. He burst inside, waking Hedwig from her slumber. He knelt down onto the floor and threw open the loose board in the floor, pulling out some parchment and a quill. Harry dipped the quill in the ink frantically, spilling the ink over the wooden floor. He began scribbling as fast as he could while explaining the whole situation. Dumbledore had told him not to reply back because heading to the wizard world it could get intercepted. But Harry wasn't writing to someone in the wizard world, so he was willing to take the chance. Either way he was in trouble anyway, he just hoped that he would be all right for the time being until Dumbledore showed up. 

He folded the letter up and sealed it in an envelope, leaving it addressed to the person but no return address or who it was from. Harry rushed over toward Hedwig, tying it around her leg while petting her affectionately. 

"Hedwig, go as fast as you can," Harry urged. 

She hooted and, once the window was opened, she took off at a fast speed. Harry was grateful it had stopped raining, though the clouds were still dark from the previous storm. Harry took a deep breath, knowing that Hedwig wouldn't take too long to get the reply and come back to him. The truth was that he hated being alone. If Voldemort and all the dark creatures working for him, as well as Death Eaters, weren't looking for him he would feel secure and at peace being left alone from the Dursleys. But that wasn't the case. 

He would've felt better had Mrs. Figg still lived next door. She had moved to the wizard world temporarily to join the Order. The Dursleys had figured she just died, but Harry knew better. They still didn't know she was in touch with the wizard world and Harry was going to keep it that way as long as possible. 

_Yeah, but what help would she be anyway. She doesn't do magic. Still, it would be nice to have a friendly face. _

Harry's shoulders slumped as he pulled himself away from the window, deciding to make himself something to eat in order to calm his nerves. He kept reminding himself that help would soon arrive, whether it was Dumbledore or…

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

His thought was cut off as the loud sound broke the uneasy silence. Harry wheeled around, almost tripping over the invisibility that he had thrown out of the floorboard moments before. He stopped cold, searching for the source of the noise and realized where it was coming from. Slowly he stepped forward, past his bed and in the direction of the window. His eyes were focused downward as he bent his knees in order to kneel down. Cautiously, he peered into the open floorboard that held everything from the wizard world (including homework he had yet to finish). 

A strange, red light caught his eye first as he examined the hidden space. There, inside the floorboard next to his _Exploring Mystic Signs _book for Divination, and on top of the broken mirror that Sirius had given to him before he died, was the device he had gotten from Mad-Eye Moody, who apparently slipped it into his pocket while at the train station where his relatives came to pick him up. He had also slipped a message along with it to tell him they couldn't keep in touch because it wasn't safe but that the device would come in handy if he ever needed it. Harry stared down at the Dark Magic alerter device, his eyes widening as the small red light on the top of it flashed in front of him while beeping madly and spinning at the same time. 

_The device…it's been activated. _

He remembered that Ron had had one before and told him that it was unreliable, but that had been because they were out in the open near magical activities. Harry was far from the magic world (despite the quick transportations), in the muggle world where no magic could be sensed unless there really was something nearby. And that only meant one thing. 

_Oh no…I've got to get out of here! _

Harry's head was spinning as he jumped up from his kneeling position, feeling his heart racing faster and faster as it pounded against his chest. He quickly dashed over to the bureau beside the bed and shut off the small lamp that had been illuminating a dim light for him to see. Once he was in complete darkness he blinked several times to get adjusted and grabbed his trunk from inside the closet. He opened it up, throwing things aside roughly as he tried to find items that he desperately needed. He grabbed several small bottles, and a couple items that he had gotten recently after the incident the previous year at the Ministry. 

He crammed the items in his pocket, tripping over the clothes that lay strewn about. He took off the white shirt he had on, exchanging it for a black one that Hermione had helped him shrink to his size right before the end of school. He knew he only had time to grab the most important things so he left his Hogwarts robe from the previous year, and many other possessions that didn't seem that valuable. He went back to the floorboard, gathering only several things that he could see with the help of the flashing red light. 

Harry knew he couldn't do magic, otherwise it'd be detected so he couldn't turn the device off. Quietly, he crept over to his window, making sure to kneel down so he could only peer out. He held his breath, glancing out the window into the night. All he could see were the outlines of houses and the occasional light illuminating the streets from the street lamps. 

_Could the device be wrong even in the muggle world? _

The street lamp down the street suddenly darkened as the light was extinguished. Harry's breath caught in his throat as he saw that all the lights in the neighborhood turned off, and he was quite certain it wasn't a power failure. Harry made sure to grab some of the snacks he had snuck upstairs from the kitchen and tucked it beneath his arm as he made his way toward the door of his room, wand in hand. Though he couldn't use it, Harry felt safer holding it. 

His door opened slowly and he stepped out into the dark hallway, creeping down the stairs. He made a decision to try going out the back door throwing his invisibility cloak on him. Before doing that, however, he crept quietly into the kitchen and approached the window by the front door to look out. The streets were dark because of the lack of light, but they appeared to be empty. 

Suddenly, out of no where a light flashed, along with another light and then another. Harry was soon losing track of the number of flashes that came through the dark. His eyes widened as he took in the full view. 

_Death Eaters!_

Harry was positive the cloaked figures moving around were Death Eaters because the source of lights were coming from each individual holding something that resembled a wand. Harry immediately started backing away from the window, hoping that he hadn't been seen. He quickly ran toward the back door and was about to open it when his eye caught sight of more flashes coming from the small backdoor window. 

_I'm completely surrounded! _

Harry knew using magic to get out was out of the question. And trying to get outside with the invisibility cloak on wouldn't work either because there were too many. If even one saw the door open and close he would be trapped, even if he were invisible. Panic filled him as he could picture what would happen if tons of Voldemort's servants got to him. They were most likely supposed to bring Harry back to him, but that didn't mean they wouldn't curse him along the way. 

He shuddered from the memory of the Cruciatus Curse, backing away from the backdoor. He quickly squeezed his eyes shut, remember what Lupin had told him about keeping calm. He had been told that by many people before, but when Lupin was a Dark Arts teacher he taught Harry how to keep himself calm so he could think clearly. He felt his muscles relax slightly and he opened his eyes again. Quickly, he ran toward the living room area searching around the walls. 

A loud crash made him wheel around and throw himself toward the wall. It had come from upstairs and sounded like the window had been smashed, which meant that they were beginning to throw curses. Harry guessed the door all ready would've been barged in had there not been the charm placed on the house, which gave him a small amount of time to escape. For now they could only throw curses until the charm gave and allowed them entrance. 

Harry began moving some furniture as quietly as he could without being too slow, until a wall had been cleared. He took the portrait of the Dursleys down without too much trouble to give him more room. He reached into his pocket and extracted a small, round blue ball. It was made of a chalky substance, which got onto Harry's fingers. He had forgotten that Hermione had given it to him as a birthday present a couple years back and he had never thought of using it before. Putting the ball onto the wall he traced a rectangular box larger than himself. The chalky blue hue glistened against the white wall. 

Harry pulled out a small vase-shaped bottle filled with a light violet hue. It was a very rare potion that shielded any use of magic, whether it be a charm, spell or curse, but it could only be used once. It had also been the potion Snape made for a final exam the previous year. Harry had just been through facing Voldemort again so Dumbledore had taught him privately how to make it. And he had been allowed to take it home, unlike the other students. 

_Could he have known I needed it? _

The feeling he had about it was strong. Dumbledore knew a lot of things needed for future occurrences. Harry poured it all along the shape of the "doorway" he had created on the wall, turning the chalky blue color to a light pink with a slightly silver hue. He was then able to take out his wand and muttered the incantation _Alahomora Contegio _and the wall disappeared, revealing a doorway in which Harry could escape out of. He grabbed hold of the wall just as the house shook with violent tremors, sending him sprawling to the floor. He could hear loud voices outside as every window near him, and probably in the house as well, burst causing glass to shatter everywhere. 

The door wrenched free of the hinges as cloaked figures stepped inside, the charm fading away. The few that stepped into the house took off their hoods. Bellatrix Lestrange looked around, her eyes glistening in the dark. Outside the house, Death Eaters were destroying every piece of property, even the garden. Several more Death Eaters entered from the back door as well as the front door, destroying the kitchen and burning things. The fridge was toppled over, the food inside turned to poisonous snakes as every ounce of possession was touched. 

Outside, Death Eaters were screaming with victory as they set things ablaze. Their handiwork was going unnoticed by the neighbors because of the shield charm used after the house was located. Glass could be heard shattering from upstairs as doors were burst open off their hinges, despite being unlocked. Several moments later, five Death Eaters came down the stairs. 

"Everything upstairs is being destroyed," he said, pulling off his hood. 

Bella turned slowly around to face him, "And?" 

"And…," he began, trailing off. "We found the boy's room. There are some things our lord might like."

Her eyes bore into his, "Some _things _he might like? YOU IDIOT!" she screeched, causing him and a few others to jump. "He doesn't want the boy's things he wants the boy! Now, have you found him?"

The Death Eater next to him shook his head, "No, there was no one upstairs. But all the boy's stuff was in his room."

Bella took a deep breath, her cold expression lessoned ever-so-slightly, "Then that means he's got to be around here somewhere. Perhaps they haven't come home yet."

Another Death Eater shook his head, "No, the other rooms were a mess. It looked like they left in a hurry."

"They couldn't have known."

The Death Eaters on the stairs turned toward Macnair, who was beside Bella. He stared at all of them, glancing at Bella as well. Before anyone uttered a word, the sound of slow footsteps sounded behind them, causing them to turn. A hooded figure, holding a cane in one hand walked inside, lowering his hood. 

"I say, what a lovely place for some…muggles," Lucius Malfoy said, obviously sarcastic. 

"If you're going to comment on the decorating instead of working, Lucius, then I suggest you go outside and amuse yourself," Bella snapped coldly. "But we have a situation at hand."

"Yes, yes, I know. I happen to be included, Bella," Lucius' eyes bore into hers. "Now…what's the problem?"

"The problem is that we can't find what our lord wanted," Bella said, glaring at all of them. "Harry Potter is missing. His belongings are here, but not him. And there is no way anyone, not even his precious Dumbledore could've known we were coming."

"Of course, our lord's plan was brilliant," Macnair spoke up. "He stayed behind with most of the others to distract the Order. He made it seem like he was trying to torture people from the Ministry in order to find out where the boy lived, only he had all ready known. He was just staging an attack."

Lucius' eyebrows rose, "Have you come to explain what we all ready know?" 

Macnair scowled but ignored him, "We can just tell him that we can search the whole city for him. The Ministry and the Order are distracted so it'll be easier."

"That's your plan?" Lucius sneered, "If our _lord _finds out Harry Potter escaped even after the carefully thought out plan, what do you think will happen to us? Huh? We'll be killed, that's what!" 

"Then what do you propose we do, Malfoy?" Bella asked, her eyes glistening with anger. 

Before he could respond, a high-pitched shriek echoed as a figure was thrown into the house. The robes had small tears in it as the body uncurled from the floor and shakily stood up. 

"Didn't I tell you not to get in the way, Wormtail?" Bella snapped. "You're going to do something stupid that might alert the Order on our whereabouts!" 

Wormtail sputtered and tried to keep himself balanced, wheezing as he tried to glare at her, "Y-you c-can't tell me what to do! I…I was assigned this too!"

"You disgust me," Bella snarled, causing him to back up slightly in alarm. "You think that you can just stand around and watch us complete a mission then take the same amount of credit? Our lord only favors you right now because you gave him a second chance," she said coldly, glancing at his hand which was a particularly strange silver hue, different from his normal hand. 

Wormtail's face was sweating but he managed a grin, "J-jealous, Bella?" 

Bella's face contorted into fury until it slowly vanished and changed into a malicious grin, "No, Wormtail. Actually, I'm not. You can have a wonderful time going down on your knees to our lord and tell him that we _failed _the mission."

Wormtail's smile faded and was replaced by absolute horror, "What?" he squeaked. 

Bella's sneer widened, "It appears that Potter is no where to be found. Don't worry, though, I'm sure it'll be quick and painless…well, the death will, I'm not so sure about the torture before the death."

Wormtail sputtered, making strange incoherent squeaking noises, "B-but that c-can't be! Potter is here! This is the house!"

"Yes, and all his stuff is here, except him!" Bella snapped, her anger returning. "And unless we find him none of us can go back to him without suffering consequences! We have to tell the rest of them out there to split up and find him!" 

"We can't do that," Macnair said, as Bella cast a glare toward him. "We're all ready running short on time before the shield charm is broken. The Ministry and the Order are going to find out what we're up to pretty soon. Our lord was clear that we only had around fifteen minutes to claim the boy and be out of here. That leaves us with five minutes left."

Wormtail whimpered pitifully, "W-what do we do?" 

They all turned, looking at him distastefully but not answering his question. Finally one of the Death Eaters from the stairs stepped forward. 

"I have an idea. How about we just tell him Harry's dead?"

The question came from another Death Eater who had been listening at the top of the stairs. He stepped down, passing the bunch on the bottom to stare at them. His cold dark brown eyes gazed at the lot of them. 

"What?! Are you insane Mulciber? _Lie _to him? Do you know what he does to liars!?" Bella shrieked. 

"That's only if he finds out," Mulciber answered. "Think about it. Once news gets out the Harry Potter's muggles' home has been destroyed, the whole wizard world will assume he's dead." 

"Dumbledore will know different," Macnair stated, crossing his large muscular arms over his chest. 

"Perhaps…but the Ministry didn't listen to Dumbledore's accusations about the Dark Lord coming back a couple years ago, so without proof the boy is alive his accusations will be ignored," Mulciber explained. 

Bella snorted, "You think that will work? The Ministry may have not listened to Dumbledore before, but they found out he was telling the truth when our lord was seen at the Ministry several months ago. All because of that Potter brat! They'll trust him more this time."

"Unless we give proof that the boy is dead," Mulciber said, his lips quirking into a grin. 

"And how are we going to do that, might I ask?" Lucius voiced, staring at him indifferently. 

Mulciber smiled, "That's where Lucius and Wormtail come in."

Wormtail squeaked as eyes ranked from him to Lucius and back to Mulciber in question. Several more Death Eaters had entered from outside to hear what was going on, including Avery, Cox and Nott. 

"Lucius and _Wormtail_?" Bella asked, unconvinced. 

Mulciber nodded, "Yes. Lucius has his ways of getting to people, and Wormtail can change into a rat. Plus the whole world thinks he's dead. If you sneak into the Ministry and collect a sample of Potter's blood, we can smear it all over."

Bella snorted again and rolled her eyes, "In the time limit of five minutes, I'd say that's impossible."

"What if we tell our lord that if Harry Potter has gone "missing" it could work to his advantage?" Avery spoke up. 

He was leaning against the broken door frame, eyeing them patiently. 

"Yeah, and what if he comes back?" Bella asked critically. "That won't work."

Mulciber sighed, "I say we stick with my plan. The news about this isn't going to take very long to get out to the public and make it known that no bodies have been discovered. If the reporters work to our advantage they'll be sending people looking for signs that the boy has died. Once they have found some kind of clue or piece of evidence, we're off the hook." 

"And what if he _isn't _dead?" Bella asked. 

"It won't matter," Mulciber said. "The boy is banned from the wizard world because it's not safe for him, right? So he's stuck here. Sooner or later he's going to starve from being on the run and from not being able to call help, or he'll run into a Dementor. Either way, he's dead. There's no way he can survive with no place to go and without being able to contact anyone."

Silence reigned over them for several minutes, except for Wormtail's occasional whimper. Finally Bella rose her head up. 

"Fine. But we have to make sure the boy is doomed," she said turning toward Lucius. "You have a way with the Minister, don't you?"

Lucius' face broke out into a sneer, "Yes, he's in the palm of my hand."

"Make him put a protection guard up so that Harry Potter may not contact the wizard world in any way, except don't let on that it's Harry Potter. Trick him into it by letting on that Harry Potter has been killed in the muggle world and tell him that in order to save himself he must set up the protection guard from the muggle world and wizard world. And that way all access to the wizard world will be blocked so the boy can't contact anyone or get there in any way, which will ensure his doom," Bella explained. 

Lucius nodded with a malicious smirk, "It shall be done."

He disappeared with a small pop, and Bella turned back to the rest of them. 

"We all wait until a little bit later to report. We tell him it was for his safety, and that we were making sure we weren't being followed or tracked. That means none of us on this mission have to show up when he calls. No matter how painful it is, we wait for Lucius to give us a sign that it has been done."

"But how will we lie to him? We know that boy might be doomed but not dead yet," Macnair argued. 

Bella nodded, "Right, but if Fudge is the idiot I think he is he'll go straight to the press and tell them the boy is dead, not realizing he has in fact ensured Potter's doom. By the time we return to report to the Dark Lord, the news would have all ready reached his ears. He should congratulate us, and unless he asks one of us specifically if the news is true, we should be fine. I doubt he will though, because knowing that the wizard world thinks he's dead will give him what he needs."

They all nodded in agreement. 

"Right, let the message be out that we wait an extra half hour before returning. And spread the news of the plan, but don't tell any of those idiots out there that Harry Potter really isn't dead yet. Just say that we heard it from the reports in the news. This information only stays with us," she gestured to the ten of them. "Now, let's go!"

They disapparated shortly before the house began to crumble. The walls disintegrated, collapsing down until the house was no longer standing. The Death Eaters were cheering victoriously outside, unaware of the discussion that had gone on with the select few inside the house. Small flames emitted here and there as strange, unknown creatures lurked in the gardens and inside the mess of wood and concrete. 

Even from the distance away in a cemetery by the park, hidden in shadows, a pair of dull green eyes watched the smoke willowing into the sky. His eyes were not fixed on the mess that had once been the home in which he had stayed for fifteen years, despite being miserable, but instead were focused above the house on the dark, gleaming symbol of a skull that had haunted him since the first time he had seen it. The Dark Mark stood out against all the smoke surrounding it, almost beckoning a victim. 

Harry stared out from the bush he was hiding behind, wrapped in his invisibility cloak, hoping that the Dursleys wouldn't be coming back soon. They would certainly not be happy about having to replace a whole house. He watched as the numbers of cloaked figures that had caused the damage disappeared until there was no one left, except the smoking house. He knew it wouldn't take long for a neighbor to find it and call the police. 

Casting one last glance at his relatives' house, Harry walked in the opposite direction, unsure of a destination, but knowing that there was no way he could go back now. He was on his own, and it was up to him to stop the source of all the suffering. 

__

TO BE CONTINUED…


	2. Remorse

****

Metamorphosis

***N OTE: So sorry for the delay! I was busy ALL of Easter weekend! I tried to get this up on time, even when it was delayed and couldn't. I didn't realize how many plans my mom had made. O.O Anyway, promise the next update won't be delayed (unless it's of a VERY VERY good reason ^-^) ENJOY!

__

Warning: There are Order of the Phoenix spoilers! 

Chapter 1: Remorse

The dark sky above the sleeping world began to wake at the sounds of unusual bird calls. There was only a crack of light in the sky as dawn was close to approaching. Had any muggle been awake to look outside they would've seen an unusually large bird the size of a swan with deep crimson feathers flying faster than any normal bird, leaving a trail of golden tail feathers in its wake as it rose toward the sky. None of them did as the bird made its way peacefully across the sky, looking around as it did so as if trying to find something out of place. The world seemed quiet and peaceful so it rose up, speeding toward a section of the sky that had a shimmering cloud. Gracefully, the large bird folded its wings and flew into the cloud, disappearing inside and not coming out the other end. 

****

In a world parallel to the muggle world, the bird emerged, flying toward its destination through a similar dark sky. It let out a loud, song-like tune that echoed around the area as it approached the house that stood in shadows, clouded by the intense magic shielded around it. To just anyone looking the house wouldn't have existed, or have been seen in their sight, but with narrowed pupils the bird was able to see through the disguise and land gracefully on the windowsill nearby the cracked and peeled sign that read: _12 Grimmald Place. _

Folding its wings, the bird pecked twice on the window waiting patiently until the window was decharmed and unlocked. A bright face greeted it with a lovely smile and frizzy morning red hair. 

"Back from your trip all ready Fawkes?" Mrs. Weasley smiled, sticking out a somewhat plump hand for the bird to clasp on to. 

Fawkes answered with a squawk but didn't say any more. Mrs. Weasley walked through the kitchen, after locking and putting up the charm on the window, and approached a large oak door in the very back of the house. She muttered an incantation and the door opened slightly, allowing her to stick her hand through. 

"There you are. Dumbledore has been expecting your return," she smiled at the bird as it flew off her hand inside the room. 

Carefully she closed the door and charmed it back up before entering the kitchen once more to finish her handiwork. Several dishes were all ready made, ready for eating. By the looks of the counters one would think she was cooking for an army. Humming an old tune, Mrs. Weasley set about preparing the last dish to be served for breakfast. 

Up the creaky old stairs, down the long hallway and toward the second door on the left, a bedroom door was open slightly. Inside the much cleaner room (since Mrs. Weasley had dusted the entire upstairs with a cleansing spell), a figure sat atop one of the beds in the room, their face obscured by the Daily Prophet article held in their hands. Another bed was on the opposite wall of the small room, pushed up against the wall, but it was unoccupied. It was the only piece of furniture in the house, besides the attic that had yet to be cleaned because of a certain Hippogriff that was still housed there, that hadn't been dusted. The covers were still crumpled as if someone had been sleeping there ages ago; a very subtle imprint of a young body only slightly visible. 

A page of the article was turned as the figure sat in silence, reading the news. The bed creaked in discontent as the figure suddenly shot up on the bed, red hair falling in a mess. 

"I can't believe it! The Chudley Canons didn't win!" 

The paper was tossed aside as Ron flopped back down on it with a sigh. He looked up at the ceiling in thought before his eyes turned to the empty bed in the room. His eyes dimmed slightly as he stared at the unmade and dusty bed that left the remains of a previous visitor. 

"Wish you were here, Harry," Ron muttered tiredly. 

A sudden knock at the door caused him to turn his head, his eyes lingering on the old door. 

"Come in only if you're not Fred or George. I'm not in the mood to test out new creations."

The door opened and a smaller, thin figure entered. Straight red hair was combed neatly into a ponytail. There were traces of growth in the small figure, such as the more matured facial features and the slight height change. Other than that, Ginny Weasley stood as she normally did, clad in her pajamas. 

"Oh, hi Ginny," Ron said, sitting up. "What are you doing up so early?"

She shrugged lightly and closed the door before approaching the bed and sitting on the end of it. 

"I couldn't sleep, not with mum rattling pots and pans downstairs," Ginny said, referring to how her room was nearby the stairs and just above the kitchen. 

"So the meeting is almost done then?" Ron asked, leaning up against the head board. 

Ginny nodded, "Yes. And it's about time! We've been here for nearly a week without knowing what's going on in the world or with…" 

Ron looked up at her as she stopped mid-sentence unable to form the words of the most feared wizard alive. He understood her fear since that's what they had been living with ever since the end of the previous year when it was reported that the Dark Lord still lived and was growing more powerful each day. So far nothing more than some Death Eater raids had happened, but they were worried since the Order, namely Dumbledore, had owled their family about heading to the secret location almost a week ago. They were afraid something bad had happened, or was about to happen. 

Ron swallowed, trying to dampen his dry throat. He decided it was best to change the subject. 

"I hope Snape doesn't come to breakfast again," Ron said distastefully. "He nearly gave me a summer assignment last time just because Fred and George put some of their Green-Tongue Chews in his drink!"

Ginny nodded, "He only was going to punish you because Fred and George aren't at Hogwarts anymore."

Ron snorted and folded his arms, brushing imaginary dust off his pajama bottoms, "That's why they don't mind pulling pranks, but I don't want to lose my Prefect badge and I _know _Snape would be more than happy to take that away so that I can't help take off points from Slytherins."

"I don't think he can take it away," Ginny said, folding her legs as she sat more comfortably on the bed. "Only Dumbledore could."

Ron just nodded and a somewhat comfortable silence fell between them. Ginny was silent in thought as her eyes strayed to the empty bed as Ron's had earlier. Without turning to him she voiced what he had hoped he wouldn't hear. 

"Have you heard from Harry yet?"

Ron's eyes dimmed, "No. Dumbledore told me the first day we arrived here that he had sent a letter to Harry's relatives right after school saying that he wasn't allowed to write to us. I can't even imagine how he feels," Ron said shaking his head. "He's practically been banished to the muggle world with those awful…"

Ron refrained from using inappropriate words in front of his little sister and instead just made a face. Ginny seemed to understand and nodded, looking down at the bed with slight discomfort. By now nearly everyone, that is Fred, George, and every one at the Grimmald place, knew about Harry's relatives. Mad-Eye Moody even had a disliking for them and had had the urge to march over there and scare them silly with his magical eye (as he had done when he helped escort Harry back to them at the end of the previous year). 

"I'm sure Harry understands," Ginny said quietly, after a small hesitation. 

Ron glanced up at her, "Did you see how angry he was last year when he didn't know anything? He couldn't write to us then either and now he's being forced to stay there. We can't even go rescue him. What if they're thinking of keeping him there all year round?"

Ginny's eyes widened with shock, "T-they wouldn't?! I mean…Harry would go crazy with his relatives."

"I know, Ginny, but it's not like before during second year when it was safe to rescue him. You-Know-Who is out there and nearly in full power. It's not safe to go anywhere alone, or in small groups," Ron said, wrapping his arms loosely around himself. "I mean, what if you or Fred or George, or even dad end up like Si…" 

Ron stopped himself short, lowering his eyes as silence ensured again. Ginny bit her lip in response, lowering her eyes as well. Neither one of them wanted to think about what could happen now that the Dark Lord was coming back as he had before. It was too painful to imagine losing anyone. The death of Sirius had been a slap of reality, so much that Fred and George didn't encourage Ron or Harry to do pranks anymore. 

"Do you…think Harry's doing all right?" Ginny asked softly, referring to the death of his Godfather without saying it directly. 

Ron hesitated but shrugged lightly, "Don't know. He seemed fine at the end of last year, but I don't think even he thought anyone would die…especially Sirius. I'm just glad we don't have to hear Mrs. Black cheering the death of her son. It was smart of Dumbledore to put that charm on her painting so it couldn't open."

"And Kreacher is gone too," Ginny said, shivering. 

"Good riddance," Ron muttered. 

"So, what about Hermione? She's coming here too, right?" Ginny asked, changing the subject to a less delicate matter. 

Ron turned to her, "I think she's coming with her parents, but we haven't been able to write since we got here. We kept in touch during the beginning of the summer, and she of course was trying to get me to study. I don't know when she's coming, if she is. Maybe we'll just see her at school."

Ginny smiled slightly, her features lighting up as she did so. Very rarely did anyone there smile, if at all. It was almost a relief to feel something other than fear and uncertainty. Ron smiled back and reached out to hug his sister, something he hadn't done in so long. Just as they embraced lightly two loud pops startled them, causing Ron to yelp and lose balance, landing with a thud on the floor. 

"Fred! George! Why do you always do that?" Ron glared at his two brothers, who were grinning widely at his "accident." 

"Don't you know how to knock?" Ginny asked, crossing her arms disapprovingly. 

Fred rose an eyebrow toward her, "Ginny, I think you've been hanging out with Hermione too much. She's starting to rub off on you."

"I don't see that as a bad thing," Ginny sniffed, glaring at them. 

George shrugged, "It's your life. Anyway, Forge and I have something to tell you."

Ron sat up in the bed curiously and Ginny adjusted her position as well. Fred and George took their places on the empty bed, staring at them before speaking. 

"You know how mum threw away our Extendable Ears?" Fred began. 

Ron and Ginny nodded, knowing too well how furious their mom was when Fred and George made concoctions. 

"Well, we found one that had been left hidden inside the room where the Order meets," George continued, glancing at Fred. "We had hidden it in there after the last meeting the previous year when everyone had left hoping they would come back and wouldn't find the Ear."

"But they didn't," Fred broke in. "And the Ear had remained there untouched until we found it again the first day we arrived."

"We didn't want to move it, since it was in such a great hiding spot, so we snuck into the room every night since then to make a copy from that one and put a spell on the original one so it would be connected to the copy that we made. That way, one Ear stays in the room, the other stays with us so we can hear what is being said," George finished. 

"You've been spying on the Order the whole time?" Ginny asked with wide eyes. "And…you weren't caught like last time?"

Fred and George grinned and shook their heads proudly. Ron looked at them suspiciously and shook his head. 

"Wait, you mean to tell us that no one knew it was there last year? I'm sure someone would've found it," Ron said. 

Fred and George exchanged uneasy looks as Ron studied the both of them. 

"There was one person," Fred said uncomfortably, "that knew we had put it there."

"Who?" Ron voiced, watching as they exchanged glances, looking around to make sure someone wasn't there. 

Fred finally looked back at Ron, "Sirius."

An uncomfortable silence reigned over them for several minutes as bad memories plagued their minds. All their eyes unconsciously went to the empty bed where Harry had slept the first time they had stepped foot inside the Grimwauld home. 

"So, what did you hear?" Ron asked, after a small hesitation. 

"Well, there's good news and bad news," Fred said. 

"And then there's really bad news," George said. 

Ron and Ginny exchanged looks before Ginny turned back to them, her eyes more calm about hearing reality about what was really happening than she had last year. 

"How about…the bad news," she said, putting a little confidence in her voice. 

Fred nodded, "There are several bad things, but they're kind of tied together. Are you ready?"

Ron and Ginny nodded, adjusting their positions to be more comfortable as they prepared to hear what they had wanted since the Order arrived: news on what was going on. 

"The first one is that Dumbledore is afraid the Dark Lord will try and attack Hogwarts."

"Which isn't a surprise since Dumbledore is one of the few wizards really standing in You-Know-Who's way," George interrupted. 

"Yes, well anyway," Fred continued, "he says that he's going to wait for more news about where You-Know-Who is headed. From what we gathered, Dumbledore has a couple spies on You-Know-Who and the Death Eaters. By the time the school year starts up again he'll send a message to every home telling whether the Hogwarts students will be moving their location to the Beauxbatons school, or Durmstrang, but most likely Beauxbatons."

"Move there?" Ginny asked surprised. 

George nodded, "Yeah, all the teachers will move there as well, including Hagrid, who I think is very up to the idea," he smirked. "It's because the Beauxbatons' location is secretive and they've updated the charms after last year so that the incantations protecting it change each week. We'll be a lot safer there."

"Wait, you two are coming?" Ron asked. "But you're out of school."

"Yeah, but we're also out of business at Hogsmeade," Fred said, referring to their joke shop that had just started picking up real business. "Hogsmeade is going to close if they can't find something to block all entrances to it where Death Eaters can get in. Besides, I've wanted to check out one of those private schools. I've heard they have really nifty secret passages, some with puzzles you wouldn't believe."

George leaned off the bed and looked around as if telling some deep dark secret, "Our goal is to find the most difficult secret room of all, which is what they call _The Moving Dungeon _room. They call it that," he continued, seeing Ron's expression, "because it moves constantly so you have to be extremely quick and clever. I heard it's not really a dungeon, but rather a place where they keep _very _rare ingredients, potions, possibly even some dangerous stuff."

"That does sound kind of fun," Ron said cautiously. "I mean, we'd be able to sneak around that school because it has a hidden location, like this house, right?"

"Exactly," Fred beamed. 

Ginny sighed exasperated, "Well, I'm sure Hermione won't approve. And you know she'll find out," she said responding to her brothers' glares. "Anyway, I think just for this year I'm going to follow Hermione's example and study with her. Who knows if You-Know-Who will get so powerful that he'll break into Beauxbatons. I just want to pass all my tests so that if we do survive the war and the Dark Lord is defeated then I'll have lots of good-paying job opportunities."

"Good thinking little sister," George nodded. "We've got to have another smart one in the family."

"Hey! What the bloody hell does that mean?" Ron glared at them. 

"Nothing, honestly," George said, feigning innocence. 

Ginny rolled her eyes, "All right you three, mum's going to have a fit if she hears you fighting. She'll give us another lecture on proper discipline while the Order is here. Now, finish telling us the news."

"Oh, right, right," Fred said. "Anyway, the second bad news is that they don't have Quidditch at the Beauxbatons' school."

"WHA— " Ron nearly shouted had Ginny not put her hands over his mouth. 

They listened but they didn't hear anything besides the clanking of dishes. Ginny let go of Ron's mouth and he stared at his brothers with a dumbfounded expression. 

"What do you mean they don't have Quidditch?" Ron whispered. "Everyone has Quidditch."

George shook his head, "Not the private schools. I mean, they have courses where you can take private lessons if you want to have that as a career but it doesn't compete against other schools or classes, mainly because they're just all one class and not divided like Hogwarts. It's because of the founder of the school who was some big rich guy, or girl."

"Is there any other _bad _news?" Ginny asked, somewhat annoyed. 

Ron glared at her, but she ignored him. 

"There's one more," Fred said darkly. 

They paused for suspense and Ginny rolled her eyes. 

"Fudge has been getting suspicious about the meeting, so it's likely sooner or later he'll find out about this place."

Both Ginny and Ron's mouths dropped open, their eyes wide with shock. 

"What…how…Dumbledore wouldn't allow that bumbling fool to come here during a secret meeting," Ron said, glancing from Fred to George. 

George shrugged, "Apparently he has no choice. The Minister got some tip of Dumbledore meeting with the old Order of the Phoenix and he decided to participate."

Ron snorted, "He's only doing it so he can hear everything that's going on with You-Know-Who. The moment he hears the Dark Lord is going to attack he's going to go into hiding and leave us all to defend for ourselves."

"We'll have the Beauxbatons," Ginny encouraged, "and there are plenty of really good and powerful aurors and witches and wizards. There has to be more of us than the number of Death Eaters."

"You're not counting the creatures and Dementors You-Know-Who is getting on his side," George said darkly. 

"Can we please not think about that right now?" Ron asked, swallowing hard. 

"Fine with us," Fred commented. "So, what'll it be? The good news or the really bad news?"

"I'm sick of bad news, please give us some good news," Ron said, leaning up against the wall. 

George nodded, "All right. The good news is that Dumbledore has managed to get more than half of the giants on our side, and right now is thinking of doing something really big in order to stop You-Know-Who. We don't know all the details, but something about getting him in one place with his army and then creating a very powerful wall to surround him and trap him."

"It's not a wall," Fred said, "it's more like a really large shield that will be too powerful for even You-Know-Who to get out of. I'm not sure why, or how it's used, but they were talking about it coming to that. There are some difficulties with it, that it takes a while for it to actually work so the Dark Lord might be able to escape it before it activates."

"What are they going to do once he's trapped?" Ginny asked. 

"That we know. They're going to send him into a parallel dimension, and you know how many dimensions there are. It would take him thousands of years to get through them and back to our dimension. By that time I'm betting everyone will be very powerful sorcerers."

"Evolution," George grinned. "Maybe there won't be any more muggles. Or maybe muggles and wizards will be living peacefully together. You never know."

Ginny smiled, "That was good news. Is there any more?"

"Well, a couple minor things," Fred smiled. "Snape won't be teaching potions this year."

Ron and Ginny exchanged surprised glances before a huge smile took over Ron's features. He looked as though Christmas had come early. 

"Not that I'm complaining, but why?" Ginny asked. 

"Because he has a full time job as a member of the Order. Fred and I think he's a spy against the Death Eaters, but we're not certain. Anyway, he won't even be at the school with us because he'll be on too many missions and reporting back to Dumbledore. So you're going to have a Beauxbatons teacher for that. Hogwarts students and Beauxbatons will be combined for that class. Otherwise there's a separate wing for all the Hogwarts teachers so you can have your normal classes, unless you switch into different ones and go to the ones the Beauxbatons are. They do have pretty interesting classes," George stated. 

"And guess who's going to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Fred winked. 

Ginny and Ron's eyes lightened immensely, "Remus!" they chorused. 

"It's professor Lupin," Fred imitated with exaggeration. 

Ginny laughed lightly at their impression and when the laughter subsided the silence wasn't as uncomfortable as before. 

Ron groaned, "Do we have to hear the really bad news?" 

Fred shrugged, his smile disappearing, "It's your choice."

"We need to know everything, Ron. We can't just be blinded by the good news," Ginny said seriously, before turning to Fred and George. "What's the really bad news?"

The twins exchanged uneasy looks before nodding, George taking a deep breath. 

"Well, first there's another rumor going around. I'm sure you heard about the trial coming up, with the Death Eaters who were caught last year?"

Ron, "I think so."

"Wasn't Draco's father arrested as well?" Ginny asked. 

The twins nodded and Ron's eyes bulged out. "We heard one of the members say that they saw Malfoy's father with the rest of the Death Eaters, who weren't at the Ministry last year; the ones that weren't caught. That means that somehow Lucius Malfoy is getting out of the cell in order to attend the gatherings, which means someone is working as an undercover spy against us. Probably someone guarding Azkaban."

"Bloody hell," Ron muttered under his breath. 

Ginny let out her breath, "They have to catch him sometime. And besides, he can't get out for very long because the other guards do checks."

"That's true, but there's more really bad news," George said uneasily. "We overheard Dumbledore talking also about…," he hesitated, "about Harry. There's a rumor that the Dark Lord is trying to figure out where Harry's relatives live so that he can get him when he's unguarded in the muggle world."

Ginny gasped, turning wide-eyed to Ron, who was looking slightly pale. 

"As far as we know that's just a rumor," he said, allowing Ginny and Ron to breathe sighs of relief. "But that means that You-Know-Who has Harry on a careful watch so if he sees any sign of knowing where he is, muggle or wizard world, then he'll attack. So…Dumbledore doesn't think it's a good idea for Harry to come to school right away."

"He's not coming?! He has to stay in the muggle world and not go to Hogwarts…er..Beauxbatons?!" Ron exclaimed. "They can't do that to him!"

"It's just temporary Ron, to fool the Dark Lord and wait until he's distracted so that Harry can get here safely." 

"Yeah, I just hope Fudge doesn't screw something up," Fred muttered. "If anything about the Order's plans to sneak Harry in behind the Dark Lord's back leaks out then Harry can't come at all. And if the Dark Lord finds out where his relatives live…"

"We won't let that happen," Ron said firmly. "We won't allow Fudge to squeal, even if we have to erase his memory of everything that the Order said. I know you two are good at sneaking temporary memory-loss taffies into people's drinks."

Fred and George nodded in agreement with knowing smirks on their faces.

"Oh yeah! We forgot to tell you! Hermione's family just got back from wherever they went. So she'll probably be coming soon."

"That still doesn't solve Harry's problem," Ron retorted. 

"Hermione might have an idea of how to help Harry," Ginny suggested. 

Ron sighed, "I hope so."

Before any of them could say another word they heard a familiar voice shouting up the stairs. 

"Ron, Ginny, Fred, George, breakfast!" they heard Mrs. Weasley shout. 

Grudgingly, Ron and Ginny got off the bed ready to walk down the stairs. Fred and George, per usual, apparated immediately. As Ron and Ginny descended the stairs they could hear Mrs. Weasley yelling at the twins. 

"YOU COULD'VE GIVEN ME A HEART ATTACK!"

"Please lessen the apparation, boys," Mr. Weasley said gently. 

Ron and Ginny sat at their respective seats at the long table just as members of the Order began filing in. Tonks came in first, having been shooed away from the kitchen by Mrs. Weasley who said she had everything under control, followed by Kingsley Shacklebolt, and other members that had been there previously. Ron knew Shacklebolt mainly from the previous year when he had been in charge of the search for Sirius Black. With his help, Sirius had remained hidden. That fact was the same since no one yet knew Sirius was dead; at least no one outside the Order. Not even Cornelius Fudge knew, which was why he continued to search for him. 

There was also a noticeably larger number, since many had joined since the report of the Dark Lord's return. The only new member Ron had seen before was Professor Sinistra, who taught at Hogwarts in the Astronomy department, though he had never had any class with her. 

Ron nearly jumped as the table began to grow in size to fit the number of people getting ready to eat. Ron sighed and looked around, noticing that Dumbledore had yet to make an appearance, probably talking to Mr. Weasley in the kitchen. He suddenly froze when he saw Snape emerge from the kitchen. Quietly, he leaned over toward Ginny and pointed him out. 

"Oh no, Snape's staying for breakfast," Ginny gave a pained look. 

Ron sunk into his chair to try and hide himself, staring down at his plate. Even though Snape couldn't give him homework, since Ron had found out he wasn't teaching, just hearing him speak was bad enough. Ron had mostly worried over the summer that Snape would be hinting about Sirius' death to Harry, knowing full well that Sirius and Snape hated each other since they were young. Harry most certainly wouldn't take it that well. Ron was pale now, looking for some excuse to leave the table and get as far away from Snape as he could. 

"Ron!" Ginny elbowed him. 

"Ow! What?" he turned abruptly toward the other end of the room. 

Thoughts about Snape immediately vanished, as well as his troubled worries when he saw a head of somewhat bushy, but smooth head of hair emerge. The murmur of voices was still going on as members of the Order seated themselves. Needing no other signs of encouragement, Ron jumped up out of his chair and made his way toward Hermione, who was currently remaining hidden behind the masses of individuals trying to seat themselves. 

"Hermione!" 

She turned suddenly and caught sight of him, a small smile on her face. He grinned and approached her, sticking out his hand like he usually did when greeting friends. 

"Oh, Ron! I'm so happy to see you!" Hermione exclaimed hugging him tightly. 

Ron was a bit startled but patted her back gently. He and Harry were used to her sudden outbursts that showed she was still sensitive beneath her firm, intelligent mask. He pulled back after a moment and his fade nearly faded as he saw the concern and fear etched into her features. 

"Hermione, what's the matter?" Ron asked. 

"I have to talk to you and Ginny," she said in a hushed voice, her eyes dimming. 

"Right now? It's breakfast," Ron said. 

"This is urgent Ron," she emphasized, staring at him seriously. 

Ron nodded, a bit uneasy by her worry and motioned Ginny over to them. Ginny slipped out of her seat and approached them curiously, dodging people as she went. 

"It's nice to see you, Hermione," Ginny smiled, giving her an affectionate embrace. 

Hermione returned it equally, "I'm glad I could make it. My parents will be coming shortly, but I had to get here as soon as possible."

Ginny's smile also faded as she noticed the tone of her voice, "What's going on?" 

Ron shrugged, "Don't know."

Hermione dragged them away from the room to the corner by the entrance. She made sure they were alone before she turned to them, fishing in her robe for something. She pulled out a somewhat crumpled piece of paper and handed it over to Ron. 

"I got this yesterday night," she said in a shaky voice. 

Ron opened it up and allowed Ginny to read over his shoulder. It wasn't long before the letter was long forgotten and the three of them were tearing into the dining area. 

"Everyone please be seated!" Mrs. Weasley announced, as the voices calmed down. 

With a snap of her fingers all the dishes from the kitchen filled the table, looking similar to a Hogwart's feast, though naturally not as big. 

"Before we begin to eat, I would like to say that I'm touched all of you could make it to supper. I know most of you are clearly busy with work, and I am grateful for those that have tried to help me," she said, smiling toward Tonks who nearly knocked over her glass while returning the smile. "Now, dig— "

A loud crash broke her off as Ron, Ginny and Hermione raced into the room, nearly knocking over the coat hanger (luckily though it jumped out of the way in time). 

"You three, what is the meaning of this? You were supposed to be seated a while ago!" Mrs. Weasley scolded. 

All eyes were turned on them, including Snape's who looked half amused. Most had their focus on the three of them, not touching the food in the dishes, except for Fred and George who had began to eat. Ron, however, was pale as a ghost, clutching the forgotten letter tightly in his hand. 

"Ron dear, are you feeling all right?" Mrs. Weasley asked, her anger turning into concern. 

"Mum! G-get Dumbledore!" Ron shouted fearfully. 

"What is it, Ron?" Remus asked concerned, sitting beside Mad-Eye Moody, who had both eyes fixed on them. 

"It's Harry! He's in danger!" Ron shouted. 

Murmurs went around the table at Ron's outburst, wondering what the problem was. Mrs. Weasley hushed them firmly and turned back to Ron. 

"What do you mean? He's safe in the muggle world, Dumbledore made sure of it."

"NO!" Ginny shouted suddenly, her lip trembling. "His relatives left him alone in the house, mum! And You-Know-Who knows where he lives!" 

Mrs. Weasley's face visibly paled and Tonks covered her mouth with a gasp of shock, surprisingly not knocking anything over. 

"How do you know this?" Remus asked calmly, despite his eyes alight with concern and something else. 

Ron thrust the letter in his hand up in the air for them to see, "Hermione got this from Harry last night! He says so right in the letter. It's Harry's writing!"

"We have to tell Dumbledore!" Mrs. Weasley cupped her mouth with worry. 

In less than a minute she rushed off toward the kitchen in order to find him. The voices broke out at once and Fred and George had ceased eating, shocked looks on their faces. 

"Calm down everyone! There's no need for panic!" Remus shouted, surprising everyone with his unusually loud outburst. "Dumbledore will be here shortly." 

"Is it true? Does the Dark Lord know where Potter lives?" one wizard voiced in concern. 

"Our spies would've seen it coming," Shaklebolt said, leaning back in his chair. "They've been watching the Death Eaters like hawks."

"That doesn't mean that it's not true," another voiced. 

The voices continued to rise in volume as one began arguing with another. Ron, Ginny and Hermione were still too stunned to move, or even open their mouths. Snape seemed to be the only one in his own thoughts, not saying a word. A sudden loud bang caused Tonks to screech out, nearly falling backward in her chair had Shaklebolt not caught her. The voices immediately calmed as they saw Dumbledore enter the room. All was silent for a minute as Dumbledore stood in front of them all, looking older but wiser, with Mrs. Weasley trembling beside him and Mr. Weasley helping to hold her upright. 

Dumbledore looked around the room, his eyes settling on Ron, Ginny and Hermione before he spoke. 

"Is it true?" he asked, not needing to direct toward one person, since his eyes were glinting toward them. 

Hermione made a sound but nodded, biting her trembling lip to keep from crying. Ginny was all ready close to tears, but she too was trying to prevent them from coming down. The atmosphere became tense as reality sunk in. 

"We have no choice," Dumbledore said wearily. "We must bring Harry here."

"But wouldn't that put him in greater danger?" Tonks spoke up quietly. 

Dumbledore turned to her, "If Voldemort all ready knows where he lives it is better if he is near the protection of the Order, including myself. But first," he said turning to look back at Ron, Ginny and Hermione, "are you certain he is in this serious of danger?" 

Ron shakily held up the letter. Dumbledore crossed the room quickly for a supposed man his age and read it. 

"This is indeed Harry's writing," Dumbledore announced, turning to those seated at the table. "We will send a group out to retrieve him. Until Harry is safe with us we will worry about what to do about Voldemort, when the time comes."

Nods were issued around the table as several stood up, including Remus, to be the ones to retrieve Harry. Most of the ones that stood up were the same group that helped Harry escape the Dursleys the previous year: Hestia Jones, Shaklebolt, Tonks, Elphias Doge and others.

"Kingsley, you will stay here," Dumbledore said sternly. "I will go myself as well to retrieve him. And you three," Dumbledore turned back to them, "please stay here. I know you are concerned about Harry's safety, but you must remain here."

Ginny whimpered and Hermione pulled her into an embrace to comfort her as Ron nodded for them. Mrs. Weasley made a strangled gasp and held onto Arthur for dear life. He patted her shoulder and looked down sadly, wishing there was more he could do. 

"We must go quickly," Dumbledore ordered. 

Before anyone could even speak or comply, a loud pop alerted them. A witch, who Ron and Ginny had only seen there once, appeared, panting for breath. Her name was Emmeline Vance and she had helped Harry escape the Dursleys as well the previous year, but she had, over the summer, been helping the other spies for the Order. 

"Dumbledore!" she gasped. "There is bad news floating around!"

"Is the Dark Lord?" Tonks asked suddenly. 

She shook her head, "No, but it's just as bad. Cornelius Fudge has announced that he's putting up the barricade from the wizard world to the muggle world."

"WHAT?!" Mad-Eye roared. 

Several sounds of astonishment and disbelief went around the room. Ron's face visibly paled even more as he suddenly wheeled around toward Dumbledore. 

"If he blocks it, how will Harry be able to get here?!"

Dumbledore's face had hardened as he remained silent, "I will have to deal with him later. We must get there before the barricade is sealed."

"I'm afraid the Minister is on his way here right now," Vance said quickly, lowering her eyes. "I have no idea how he figured out the location of the Order. He somehow managed to get Mundungus Fletcher drunk and then slipped a truth potion in his drink. We couldn't stop him in time," she said desperately. 

The sound of the door opening as charms were quickly moved out of the way, caused everyone in the room to turn. Footsteps echoed against the creaking floors until two figures emerged, whom nobody wanted to see. Cornelius Fudge took off his hat as he stepped into the room, led by his personal "bodyguard." 

"Ah, Dumbledore, good you're here," Fudge said calmly, setting his hat on the hat stand that was trying to move away from him. 

"I believe you weren't invited," Mad-Eye said coldly, his magical eye glowering at the man. 

"You should watch your tongue, Moody," Fudge said calmly. "I have a right here as anyone else. I am the Minister after all, and it's very important I know what's going on. But that's not really the reason I came here. I have very important news for you all. You might want the children to leave though," he said glancing down at Ginny, Ron, and Hermione. 

"They have a right to hear whatever you say, Cornelius," Dumbledore said firmly, but still calmly. "They have been through much more than you could fathom."

"Right, well, shall we get started?" Fudge said. "How about we eat first? This might spoil your appetites."

Mad-Eye snorted, "Spare us, Fudge! We all ready know what you're planning to do."

Fudge blinked, his eyebrows furrowing, "Excuse me?"

"You can't do that! It's too dangerous, for anyone!" Vance spoke up from where she was standing. "You can't seal off the muggle world from the wizard world."

Fudge stood up straight, "And why not? Muggles shouldn't even have an opportunity to find out about us. Besides, it's just temporary."

"Cornelius," Dumbledore said firmly, "this is much larger than yourself. A decision like that needs a proper meeting."

"I've all ready had one, and have gotten all twelve signatures," he said pulling out a piece of parchment from his cloak. "I decided not to have the regular formal meetings since this was urgent. And I did it for the good of the wizard world."

"Wait a minute…," Ron spoke up, his voice higher than normal. "You…You all ready did it?"

"No, no, it's being done right now, my boy."

"I'm sorry Cornelius, but I can't allow you do this," Dumbledore spoke up, his eyes alight with emotion. 

"I'm afraid it's all ready been worked out, Dumbledore," Fudge said calmly. "And I don't see what the problem is."

Ron angrily stepped forward, "We have to get Harry! He's in danger!" 

Fudge glanced down at him, "Well, yes I know he's in danger. That's why I have come here."

Whispers were exchanged as well as looks of curiosity and confusion. Dumbledore stared at him deeply. 

"What do you mean?" Dumbledore asked. 

Fudge sighed deeply, pulling something else from inside his cloak, "I hate to be the bringer of such tragic news, especially now, but I was given no choice. I had to let you know right away. As you will see with this proof," he said, pulling out what looked like a newspaper article, "this article was written by myself, witnessed by more than a dozen aurors and witches and wizards who were beside me. Your protégé, Harry Potter, was indeed in great danger and I am terribly sorry that I hadn't noticed sooner. Had I not been so busy trying to calm the public about the news of the Dark Lord's return, perhaps…Well, it's best not to think about such things," he said quietly, unfolding the article. 

"I am terribly sorry, for you all, and for the loss of this world," he said remorsefully, holding out the article to the front page. "But I'm afraid that just late last night the home on 4 Privet Drive was found demolished with the Dark Mark above it and no sign of any living person within. I wished I would never have to say these words, but…Harry Potter is dead."

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TO BE CONTINUED…

*** I should put up in my profile, in a couple days, the next update to this and other stories. I do have several other stories over break to update, so I hope this won't take too long to be updated. Definitely not any longer than I've made you guys wait for this chapter. ^-^

To Reviewers: 

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Paradox01: Thanks! ^-^ I know *sighs* I didn't want it all to happen fast, but I didn't want to make it boring, or repetitious by explaining day after day Harry's depression at being with the Dursleys without contact from his friends. That happened in the beginning of the third book, I believe it was, and would've been a little too tiring and boring to write. ^-^ Anyway, I hope this chapter was better and I hope not to delay the next update! 

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Sailor PPearl: ^-^ I can't spell either. That's why it's great to have a spell-checker, huh? *grins* I'm sorry I made you wait for this! I was soooooo busy! Next update should be sooner. 

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Geminia: Thank you! I'm glad you like the action. I know this didn't have any action in it, but it will. I'll be working on getting the next chapter up sooner. ^-^

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Sxybichic18: thanks!!!!!!!!! Keep reading this, or else….muahhaha! Just kidding. ^-~

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Starlight Dreams: Well, I usually like to keep most chapters fairly long, sometimes I do two-part chapters which are extra long. I know I'll be doing that in this story. Maybe not the next update, but after. ^-^ I'll make sure to update sooner!

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Bookworm2000: Hey! ^-^ There's a lot of stupid people huh? (Voldie, Death Eaters, Fudge, Dursleys…Snape. Hehe. ) I'm sorry I took soooooo long in updating this. Gosh, I hope I reach my other estimation goals (on my profile) *sighs* I should get started so I can update Sick Pleasures on time. ^-^ *runs off to go write more*

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C.thorne: You haven't read the fifth book? *eyes widen* There are some major spoilers. I put another note up just in case. Believe me I know what it's like to have something spoiled and it's not good. Anywhoo, hope you enjoyed this (and I'm not sure if you'll still read it because it has spoilers and characters you might not know). But thanks!

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Yoli: Thanks! ^-^


	3. Fear

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Metamorphosis

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay! My laptop crashed recently and I had to get it repaired, then I went out of town for the weekend. I'll try my best to update as many chapters as I can before I go on a week vacation, and a little bit after vacation I should be able to post more. That's my goal!

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Chapter 2: Fear

The sky was filled with dark clouds as signs of more summer showers were seen. It wasn't too common for rain showers in mid-July, and strangely the dark clouds appeared to loom over those in the wizard world. The muggle world was not affected, for they were oblivious to the news that had traveled far. The savior of the wizard world, against the forces of Slytherin (and those who chose the dark side) that would bring about the war of the Dark Age, the young Boy-Who-Lived Harry Potter, was dead.

Deep in the heart of the wizard world, where dark clouds seemed to manifest, stood a rusting, old house that stood atop a large hill overlooking a graveyard. The house was hidden from the eye of any watchers due to the strange mist that appeared as if a sudden fog had hidden that part from the world. The walls were made of ordinary wood that was all ready decaying from years of downpour and age. Still, it somehow managed to stand without collapsing. A sign that was swinging off its hinges, the wood decayed for the most part and the words all blurred together, was placed at the very bottom of the hill, lying in a heap amongst the gravestones. Barely readable were the words _Riddle House _etched into the wood.

A chilly breeze swept over the vast, empty area, bringing leaves on a dangerous flight across the ground that had beneath it bodies of the dead. Strangely, one tomb stood in the ground, looking beaten and out of place, but it no longer had a body beneath it. The gravestone bear the name _Tom Riddle _in dripping letters that appeared similar to blood. Not to far from that a statue of an angel stood, almost weeping for the grave beneath her. The wing on the left side was partly shattered as if a duel had taken place not too long ago.

The leaves danced around the angel as if calling out to it, before suddenly leaping up off the ground as a sharp wind swept over. As the wind died down a sound echoed in the desecrated area. A loud pop followed as the strange _whosh _of wind, and a figure in a black, hooded cloak appeared out of thin air, holding what appeared to be a simple book. The book shimmered under the touch of the moonlight, mostly covered by the dark clouds now, as if an incantation had been placed on it. The figure clutched the book tightly, looking around several times in case of being followed, then moved slowly in the shadows, stepping on the decaying sign as the figure headed up the steep hill. Few rays of moonlight shone across the front of hood, illuminating the white mask that covered the face of the figure approaching the rotting house.

Holding the book close, the figure looked around again before reaching out toward the door. The hand nearly touched the knob but jumped as a beetle was spotted by the door on the rotting wood. Clenching a fist at being startled so easily, the figure lashed out and smacked the place where the beetle stood. Adjusting the black robes, the figure then opened the door, not noticing that the place where the beetle was supposedly squashed bore no mark or sign that anything had even been there.

The door closed and the figure walked slowly inside, following the dim-lighted hallway. The source of the light came from the serpent-shaped torches that lined the walls, floating mid-air. They illuminated a fire-red flame that flickered in many red specks of magic now and then. The hallway soon ended and came to a large wooden wall that blended in with the floor and walls around it. But the figure knew better. Taking out the wand from within the robes, the figure drew a symbol on the wall that came out in green sparks. The symbol of the Dark Mark glittered violently before the wall caved in from the center, opening up like a large hole. Upon entering a large, polished room, the figure took off his mask.

"Mulciber!" a voice hissed quietly.

Searching around the bowing hooded figures that filled the vast space of the main room in the west wing, the Death Eater, Mulciber, found his spot in between Macnair and Avery. Once seated in his position he looked around the dim space. They had all been there before, the previous year, where they had discussed the prophecy. Now that the prophecy had been destroyed, by Harry Potter no less, and news of the boy's death was spreading like fire, Mulciber was curious to know what they'd be in store for.

"Is there any hint of why we have been summoned here again?" Mulciber whispered to Avery.

Avery shook his head, "None, except that it doesn't seem like he's angry."

"That's good then, right? It means our lord believes Harry Potter to be dead," Mulciber whispered back with a smirk.

"SHH!" Macnair interrupted, glaring daggers at them. "Be careful of what you say. These walls have ears."

Avery and Mulciber exchanged smirks, but didn't respond any longer. Mulciber searched around with his eyes, pulling his mask down in case their _dear lord _showed up sooner than expected. He had felt the painful burn on his way from scouring Knockturn Alley for some…useful ingredients. He could feel that the Ministry was hot on his tail. In fact, they were hot on a lot of their tails. They had to keep their masks on for as long as they could stand in case they were being spied upon.

Luckily he wasn't in the same position as Lucius Malfoy, the only Death Eater who was working out of Azkaban for Voldemort. The other Death Eaters that had been captured in the Ministry Voldemort apparently had no use for, but Lucius had a son who was in Hogwarts. That was something that could possibly be used when the time came. For now, he was lying low, doing simple tasks since he still had to appear in Azkaban when the guards working for the Ministry checked in on him. Occasionally, Lucius would seem a bit troubled when he returned from the Fortress prison. It was no surprise since the Ministry and secret Order of the Phoenix had gotten more…useful creatures to do the work. Dementors, the ones that Voldemort had not gotten to side with him still roamed the facility, but other creatures that devoured happiness and hope were also there, like the _pogrebin, _which not only devoured hope and happiness but the person if it got into their cell.

Mulciber inwardly shivered, but kept his eyes focused ahead. Any minute he would come and they'd have to be ready to report. If he asked any of the select few who had been inside the home of Potter's relative's house, they'd have to answer truthfully: that Harry Potter was only presumed dead. If he ever found out that…

He heard something soft nearby and turned his attention to his right where a piece of paper lay neatly by his hand. His eyes lifted and he caught site of Bella staring at him before she too pulled down her mask. He hurriedly opened the note and read it:

__

Meet outside of Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley immediately afterward.

Mulciber quickly waved his wand and the piece of paper dissolved into dust. He pocketed his wand just as a loud pop sounded ahead of them. He unconsciously pressed his hands closer to the floor, hoping that whatever happened Voldemort wouldn't find out the truth. He heard the swish of heavy robes and risked a peek. His eyes met with a much more powerful sight than he had expected. Lord Voldemort stood tall, looking much stronger in both strength and power, his long, new black robe flaring out around his abnormally pale body. The robe was designed specially by his top Death Eaters, which were only the few still alive. Most of the top Death Eaters had died for Voldemort after being captured during the first war, before the Dark Lord's defeat by a small baby. That's why most of the Death Eaters bowing before him now weren't as easily trusted since they hadn't willingly signed their lives away for him.

Voldemort's nostrils flared as he tried to sniff out all of their emotions. Mulciber held his breath, inwardly trying to calm his racing heartbeat. The crimson eyes searched around for guilty faces, so Mulciber looked down, bowing his head low enough so he was only staring at the floor.

"I have heard the news," Voldemort spoke softly, his voice somehow echoing around them, causing shivers to crawl up their spines.

Voldemort ignored some of the involuntary shivers as Death Eaters shifted in their places. His eyes ranked over the lot of them and he waited to see if he could detect any unusual feelings off of them before continuing.

"It seems that Fudge has taken the information sent to him. Well done, Lucius," Voldemort hissed to one of the Death Eaters in the third row.

"Thank you master," Lucius murmured, a small smile playing on his lips.

Voldemort's eyes held onto him for a few more seconds before he turned away, walking toward the other end, keeping his crimson eyes locked onto the Death Eaters bowing before him.

"The block from the wizard world to the muggle world and vice versa has proved troublesome for the Order. This will help us take an advantage over them," Voldemort spoke coldly, but not with any hint of a threat…yet. "Before we begin I want full reports from those who I asked."

"Macnair," Voldemort hissed, his eyes locking onto him.

Macnair bowed lower in respect, "My lord, I have done as you asked. I have gotten valuable information from one of the aurors in the Ministry."

Next to him, Mulciber inwardly smiled. No one in the Ministry still had an idea that their executioner was working against them. Of course, half of them still believed Lucius Malfoy was innocent, and he was the kind of man to not suppress his darker side. Macnair, however, rarely spoke and always hid in the shadows of the Ministry. The last time he had been in a case it was for some hippogriff connected to Hogwart's precious giant, Hagrid. After that, the Death Eater meetings became more frequent and he had to make excuses for not showing up at the trials. However, luckily the Ministry still trusted him. He was very good at persuading others to say things. The Order suspected him, but had no proof of anything.

"May I tell you of my findings, my lord?" Macnair continued.

Voldemort's lips curled ever-so-slightly, "Proceed."

"I have gathered information from one of the aurors, Amelia Bones. She has told me that Fudge has finally suspected the secret organization of the Order of the Phoenix. She also told me that by way of accidentally eavesdropping on the Minister she found out that the Minister is gathering up an army, for what purpose is still unclear."

"Ah, so our dear Minister is intimidated," Voldemort's lips curled into a sneer.

The Death Eaters around him burst into quiet laughter at this statement until Voldemort hushed them with a look.

"Is there anymore?"

"No, my lord."

Voldemort's eyes moved toward another Death Eater positioned closer to him.

"Bella, what have you to report?"

"Something you will find quite useful, my liege," she responded confidently. "I have heard a rumor from watching some of the members of the Order and gathered that Dumbledore is planning on using the giants against the Dementors and dark creatures on your side. When they are distracted, as far as I have gathered, they will try and lure us into one area and surround us. They're using Hogwarts as the main bait, my lord, waiting for you to attack and then they will surround the castle and the area around it, in a large charmed-shield."

Voldemort laughed quietly, his cold voice echoing off the walls, "Is that so? That muggle-loving fool thinks he can capture me in a vortex. Clever, but dangerous on his part," Voldemort said as he slowly paced in front of them.

"Master, please explain," Bella said softly, bowing her head low.

Voldemort stopped pacing and looked down at her with gleaming eyes. For a moment, Mulciber thought she'd receive the Cruciatus Curse, but Voldemort turned and settled his eyes elsewhere.

"A vortex is a shield used from the power of a shaman. They are a very rare form of sorcerer. They can put up a barricade sealed with magic in order to trap us in a very large area," Voldemort said. "But Dumbledore would be a fool to try this. Shamans are so rare that most of them are at an old age, older than he is and will be too incompetent. Surely they wouldn't have enough power. And in order to activate it he'd have to acquire certain ingredients to give to the shaman for the ritual. By the time he gets everything he needs, my plan will be complete. If he is planning that we will need to move fast," Voldemort said, his eyes scanning over them.

"Burley," Voldemort hissed, staring down at Death Eater who was visibly shaking. "What have you to report?"

The man, Burley, bowed clumsily. He was nearly as cowardly as Pettigrew, but disliked a bit more. He was a bit chubby with glasses and was hardly picked to do services for Voldemort and when he did nearly messed everything up. He was usually only saved by bits of information he'd heard from other Death Eaters talking and so he'd only get the Cruciatus Curse, not death. He had been one of the few Death Eaters never caught by the Ministry, or suspected in any way. One reason was that he wasn't even a Slytherin. The truth was that he was a softy who had attended a private school that had long since shut down due to the expenses. It wasn't half as great as the Beauxbatons or any other, and though he had done fairly well in his classes, was nothing but a lowly man who lived off of everyone else.

"M-master," he stuttered, "I t-tried to find the information on the auror you desired. Um…s-she was harder to find than expected and--"

"You failed me again, Burley," Voldemort interrupted, his voice unusually cold. "I asked for you to find one of aurors who had witnessed the prophecy on the night it was told all those years ago. You had a list and all you had to do was find them. And you failed, yet again. Another simple mission. I have no use for incompetent fools like you."

"N-no, master, please. I beg of you to forgive me! I tried, but she wasn't home and--"

"Silence!" Voldemort hissed, pulling out his wand and pointing it at the shivering Death Eater. "Every failure has a price."

"W-wait, master, what about the boy! What about Harry Potter?!"

The Death Eaters around held their breath as they waited to see what would become of the cowering Burley. Voldemort seemed to hesitate in saying the killing curse for the green flash of light never came. Burley, who was still cowering on the floor, shakily looked up.

"What about him?" Voldemort hissed softly, his voice still threatening as he held the wand steady.

"W-well, he's d-dead master! Haven't you heard?"

Voldemort stared at him for several minutes before pulling his wand away. His eyes stayed hooked to the man before him.

"Yes, I have heard…," he hissed, his eyes falling on others nearby that had their heads still bowed.

"A-and it's good master! He's out of your way so now you c-can concentrate on your goal!" the man said more confidently.

"And I wonder who gave the order to kill him," Voldemort hissed, as Burley's smile disappeared into a horrified look. "I said I wanted to kill the boy myself."

Unnoticed by him, as Burley began shaking his head in disbelieve, several Death Eaters tensed. Voldemort's eyes remained riveted to the frightened man as the wand rose to face him.

"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort hissed as a green light erupted from his wand .

The man screamed but couldn't move in time as the curse hit him, surrounding him in a flash of green mist before his eyes glazed over and he fell to the floor with a sickening thump, his mouth still partially open in terror. Voldemort pocketed his wand as if nothing had happened and moved to the other side of the room.

"I will overlook this matter since I have waited nearly fifteen years for this. I have wanted to kill him myself to prove that no insolent boy can stand in my way. However, eventually I will have to show proof of a body," Voldemort's eyes glinted dangerously. "There will be a reward for whoever recovers the boy's body. Lucius," Voldemort hissed, turning his eyes on him, "I suggest you stay away from this matter. If you are discovered the Order will be on to me. And I cannot let them take the advantage."

"Yes, my lord," Malfoy replied.

Voldemort's nostrils flared again, "It is time to set the first stage of my plan. Those of you who I have selected to do the first stage are to let loose Dementors into the muggle world. Without a way in, the Ministry and Order will be able to do nothing. I will need to prepare for the second stage if I am to retrieve the item I desire before the Order begins to figure it out," Voldemort said, pacing. "Bella, you will find out where I am able to find the item."

"Yes, my liege," she answered.

"The rest of you will report back after the first stage is put into action," Voldemort said quietly, sitting down upon his "throne," or large, plush-red chair. "I will wait until I am sure the Order isn't onto my tracks before continuing. You are dismissed."

The Death Eaters all disappeared with a pop. Several of them reappeared in Knockturn Alley outside of the Dark Arts shop. Bella appeared first, followed by Mulciber, Lucius, Macnair, Avery, and Nott. People were bustling about not caring for their presence or the way they were dressed up. Bella angrily turned on all of the men.

"How could you all be so stupid?! Who knew that he wanted the boy alive?!"

"I didn't!" Avery exclaimed immediately. "I thought he'd be happy if the boy was killed!"

"Well he's not! And once he finds out we not only told him the boy was dead when we're sure he isn't, but also that we went against his orders in the first place, he's going to torture us all and probably kill us!" Bella exclaimed breathlessly, her face turning red from anger.

"Don't get so carried away, Bella," Lucius said calmly, a frown on his face. "He did order us to find out where Potter's relatives lived and attack them."

"Yes, attack _them_! Who told us that we were supposed to attack and kill the boy?! Someone must've wanted the boy dead and sent us the wrong message so that we would do the job and they wouldn't get in trouble!"

"It has to be someone who received the message directly and was told to report it to the rest of us," Mulciber said, staring at each of them.

"I bet it was Bagman or Dolohov!" Nott exclaimed. "They've looked for an opportunity to kidnap the boy and bring him to master. Perhaps one of them holds a personal grudge against the boy and wanted him dead."

"We won't know for sure until we question everyone who was directly there," Avery said. "So for now, what should we do?"

Bella stood thoughtfully before looking up at them, "We make sure the boy is dead. That way, if our lord finds out we got the message wrong we won't be the ones punished. But if he finds that out and also that the boy's still alive, we all will be punished!"

Avery glanced at her, "How can we get into the muggle world when it's blocked?"

"Didn't you hear him? He's sending Dementors in!" Bella snapped.

"So?" Nott said.

Mulciber rolled his eyes, "Dementors aren't affected by the block because they're not dead or alive. They can still travel to and from the wizard world and the muggle world. If we go with them and create a portkey we have one chance to get in and out to make sure the boy is dead."

"But we only have a limited of time until the first stage is absolutely complete. If he's not dead by then we'll have to hope the Dementors get to him," Bella said. "Lucius, you should get back to your cell before they suspect something. Dolohov won't be able to cover you for long."

"And while you're in there, see if he knew anything about the message," Mulciber added.

Lucius nodded somberly and disappeared with a pop. Bella sighed angrily and turned to the rest of them.

"Let's go before the Dementors leave!"

With several pops they all disappeared.

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XXXXXXX

It had been at least an hour, as far as he could tell, though he didn't have a watch with him and he couldn't use magic. He had been standing on the side of the street waiting for the Knight Bus that had rescued him in his third year. Harry sighed heavily and slumped down onto the curb. He didn't understand why it wasn't coming. Surely Dumbledore had heard of the Dursley's house being burned down. Why wasn't anyone coming to rescue him? Even if somehow Voldemort had hidden the attack, for the time being, from the eyes of the Ministry, he had sent an urgent note to Hermione. She had to have gotten in. Could they have not believed him? Or maybe his friends were still being held on lock-down, unable to reply to him or have anyone come to the muggle world.

_No, Dumbledore should know by now that Voldemort is able to find me here! It's not safe so why shouldn't anyone be able to come and get me?!_

He had thought about it over and over but could find no explanation, unless something drastic had happened, but what would that be? Getting up, Harry brushed off his jeans and decided to head back toward the Dursleys in order to go to the same spot where the Knight Bus had picked him up before. Perhaps by some chance he needed to be in the same spot. He held his wand tightly in his right hand as he walked back down the path he had taken through the large garden surrounded by trees.

He was sure it was past dawn by now, but for some reason the sun appeared blocked by the clouds. He walked on through the same path, hoping that there was someplace to go if the Knight Bus didn't show. A rustle nearby caused him to freeze in his spot, holding his breath. He squinted his eyes, looking around the tall trees and grass as he tried to find out what it could be. Some of the trees moved from the breeze but that was all.

Suddenly, voices caught his attention. He could hear something a distance away, but couldn't make out what it was. Hoping that it was one of his friends, or the Knight Bus, he crept quietly through some of the flower beds toward the narrow alley-way that led to the park with the swings nearby what used to be the Dursleys' house. He crept quietly, leaning against the wall and peered out around a corner. At first he couldn't make out a sign of anyone, but out from behind one of the closed coffee-shops across the street, came several figures dressed in black.

_Oh no, Death Eaters!_

Harry began backing away when he suddenly stopped. If something had happened in the wizard world, or even something along the lines of what Voldemort was planning, the Death Eaters might give away a clue. Harry took a few deep breaths before creeping back behind some hedges and drawing closer to the figures. He watched closely and stayed a distance away as they walked away from the old coffee shop and toward the street. They stopped at the curb and seemed to be looking around. When their backs were turned, Harry crept around toward the coffee shop, running as quietly as he could behind him and sneaking around to the other side. As he slid along the side of the shop, he very slowly peeked one eye around the corner to make sure they weren't looking, before peering out completely.

"Why are we here?" one of the Death Eaters demanded, his voice sounding far away.

"Because…couldn't have traveled… away… you idiot!" a familiar voice hissed, the voice too far away to hear everything.

Harry recognized the voice as Bella's, one of Voldemort's top Death Eaters. The one that had killed Sirius. Harry unconsciously clenched his fists, glaring at her, but remained hidden. He could just barely hear them. Walking to the side he found a large mail-delivery stand and ducked down, leaning against it. He heard the Death Eaters take several steps, their cloaks brushing against the ground and held his breath.

"How do we even know the boy was near the house when it happened?" another Death Eater demanded.

This time Harry could hear them perfectly. He sat still, crouched onto his knees as he pressed his back against the mail stand.

"Ugh! This is hopeless!" Bella exclaimed. "He could be anywhere and we don't have enough time to search the entire town!"

The Death Eaters seemed to murmur amongst themselves for a minute before their voices grew louder again.

"Wait, what about doing a spell to search for signs of magic?"

"Oh Nott, you idiot! The boy doesn't know that he's been sealed off from the wizard world. He's had no contacts since he came back for his own safety. That's why he's been so difficult to track here in the first place! It's a good thing Bagman overheard some of the Ministry members talking about Arabella who lived next to the boy. She was much easier to track down," Bella explained.

Harry nearly stifled a gasp at the information he was receiving. He had no time to think on it as he heard the footsteps approaching. They stopped and the Death Eater seemed to turn around again from the swish of the cloak.

"It's too bad she wasn't here when we arrived, otherwise I would've paid her a little visit," Bella hissed bitterly.

"Yeah, that's what makes me so suspicious of Bagman," a fourth Death Eater spoke up. "He was the one who tipped us off on where the boy lived. But I'm not sure if he knew he was giving us false information or not. Someone obviously wants us out of the way so they can move up in ranks toward our lord! And when I find out who tried to sell us out…"

"Relax Mulciber, there's nothing we can do about that now. We've got to lie low until everything is sorted out," Bella explained. "Master is more concerned about the Order finding out about the Talisman he needs. Dumbledore and his precious Order think they've got all of us cornered with that plan of his. He can only summon it with a shaman's power, but they'd need something stronger. That is the reason master is so afraid. If they find out he's after the Talisman, not only will they try and stop him, but they'll want it for themselves. If they get it in their possession all could be lost," she hesitated. "And right now our concern is to make sure Harry Potter is dead."

Harry held his breath as he heard that, his hand unconsciously going to his wand. He was sure he wasn't going to hear anything else of importance from them, at least not for the time being. He moved slowly to try and get to the side of the mail stand in order to get back to his hiding place. As he moved his hand slipped and banged lightly on the stand. He froze in place, his heart hammering in his chest.

He heard footsteps, "Hey, did you hear that?"

He could barely breathe as the footsteps came closer. He tilted his head up as he saw a Death Eater walk nearby with his back turned, staring at the shop and the trees behind it.

"It might be the muggles. They're probably waking up and they might get suspicious of us. Let's go, there's no time to waste," Bella snapped heatedly.

The Death Eater standing nearby Harry turned, luckily at an angle that looked on the other side of the mail stand where Harry wasn't kneeling. He walked back over to them, looking back once over his shoulder before shrugging it off.

"So, what about the boy?"

"He has no where to go. And there's no way he'd be able to get into the wizard world," one of the Death Eaters spoke.

"There's always a way to get by everything, what if he figures out a way? What if he figures out how to transfigure or something?"

"I doubt he'd be able to figure out such a complicated spell before the Dementors get to him," Bella spoke coldly. "It's a rare ability for anyone to have, let alone a small boy who thinks he's not even allowed to use magic at this point."

"What about a portkey?"

"He can't make one from the muggle world because of the block. And the only way we can do it is because of the Dementors. Sooner or later he'll die, whether his soul gets sucked out, or he starves to death. Let's not worry too much at this point. Master thinks he's dead. Now, give me the portkey!"

"Why do you get to hold it?"

"Stop whining and give it to me!"

Harry heard some rustling before a loud _whosh _sounded. He let out the breath he was holding and slowly peeked around the mail stand. There was no one in sight. Apparently they had all left without realizing how close they had been to their seemingly "failed mission." He sat, leaning against the mail stand in a daze. The information he learned finally began to sink in. He was trapped in the muggle world, without a way into the wizard world. That's why the Knight Bus hadn't come, because the barricade sealing off the two worlds had been put up. No doubt it was Fudge's doing. Not only that, but they had set Dementors into the unsuspecting muggle world. They would surely be after him as well. Bella had said that Harry wouldn't use magic because he thought he couldn't, but did that mean he could? Or maybe certain types of magic could be used? He needed more answers.

_They said something about a spell that can be used to get past the barricade, but how am I going to figure that out?_

They had also said that Voldemort needed a Talisman. Harry wasn't sure what that was, but had a feeling it wasn't good. Whenever he needed an object, like the Sorcerer's Stone, it was always something rare and valuable that would help him succeed in taking over. But since he knew very little about Voldemort's plan, he needed to concentrate more on surviving and finding a way to warn Dumbledore that Voldemort was onto his plan.

Standing up, Harry stood still for a moment thinking things through. There was always a chance that Mrs. Figg had some food and other things at her house. Harry could take that with him in his search for finding out how to escape his deathtrap. He had no idea where he was going to go or how he was going to find out what spell to use. Wishing that he was back at Hogwarts, or some place where he didn't feel so vulnerable, Harry turned around to begin heading toward Mrs. Figg's. He took several steps and nearly stumbled, his stomach clenching tightly as a strange shiver passed over him. His head ached and his energy felt drained.

Taking several stumbling steps backward, Harry wrenched out his wand that he had placed in his pocket and wheeled around. He blinked several times, not seeing anything. Suddenly a cold raspy sound echoed nearby as the trees rustled. Out from trees came a dark, hooded figure, and Harry was certain that it wasn't a Death Eater. The cold, bony hands of the Dementor shone in the daylight as the empty hooded face stared directly at him. Harry's eyes widened as he froze to the spot. He had been sighted.

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TO BE CONTINUED…

Hey guys! Sorry this was posted so late (hehe…at like nearly midnight), but I did work hard to get it up on time! I know, bad cliffhanger. I know nothing too interesting and exciting happened, but the plot will thicken! Don't worry if you don't understand something, it should come together in the end. If it doesn't, then you can ask anything. I doubt this story will be even half as long as my other Harry Potter stories, especially if I keep the chapters nice and long. Hope to update this soon!!

To Reviewers:

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Watashi no wa baka: Wow, thanks! I'm really glad you like this story! I know I'm taking FOREVER to update, and I hope that doesn't happen again. My goal is to finish this story by the end of the summer, so we'll see how that goes. Thanks for being patient!

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Bertie Botts: Thanks so much for the advice! I changed the summary a bit! - Hope you think it's better now. I'm really glad you think the characters are in character. That's good, because some of the characters are rarely seen in the HP books so I have to really think hard on how to portray them. I know this chapter was as long as the others, but they will get longer, promise! The plot just needs to thicken a bit. Actually, yes, I have considered writing professionally. I do have an original (sci-fi/suspense) story I'm working on, well, have been for several years, but these things you just never know. Heck, I'm so young I might decide I like something different. Who knows. And yes, thanks again for your help! I'm sorry for the slow update, hopefully it will be a lot quicker for next time!

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Iniysa: Thanks!! I'm glad you like it so far!

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Dreamer43: Hehehe, thanks! Yeah, I spotted that "Head boy" problem right after I had posted it. It's fixed now! But thank you! Sorry for the slow update!

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D: yes, thank you! I realized my mistakes when I was double-checking things. I was in such a hurry to post it on time I posted the rough draft without reading through it and editing it myself like I usually do. But that's all fixed now!

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Kjkit: Thank you! I'm glad it's suspenseful. I know nothing too exciting happened in this chapter, but I promise the plot will thicken!

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story girl: yes, I have all ready taken all that into account. Some of the inconsistencies have been fixed and were errors because I hastily posted the chapter without editing it myself. But I don't need a beta, or at least I've never had one before and I've never really had complaints about inconsistencies. I wanted to try something different with this story, and everything will come together in the end. Such as, Snape working for Voldemort. Everyone assumes that Voldemort thinks that Snape is still on his side, but if you read the Fourth book carefully you will see that Voldemort hints that he realizes a couple Death Eaters have completely betrayed him (possibly Snape and Karkaroff), so I'm using that in this story. That was never clearly stated, that Snape is a spy for Voldemort, in the HP books, and right now the only thing he does for the Order is occasionally eavesdrop on Death Eaters, that's what I meant by spying. And for Hogwarts, yes, it's the safest place in general but actually they're not really moving because it's not safe. That's what the students are being told. I don't want to ruin this for you, but since you want to know, Dumbledore is trying to trick Voldemort and use Hogwarts as "bait" as you learned in this chapter. So everything happens for a reason, but I accept your criticism, thank you.

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Romm: Thanks! I'm glad the plot is thick enough for you. I promise you'll find out about Harry trying to get into the wizard world and everything, but not just yet.

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Bookworm2000: hehehe, yes, Fudge, annoying guy isn't he. Don't worry, good news is that I don't like him. Hint…Anyway, sorry for the slow update. I WILL update this faster!! I did finally manage to finish Sick Pleasures though.

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Kaye: Hey there, long time no talk! I finally finished Sick Pleasures, aren't you happy!? The sequel should be up by late July! And Fire Wall I will update later on, and hopefully I can update this a lot faster now.

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Anonymous: hey there! I'm really sorry about taking so long! I'll try not to leave you too long in suspense this time. Since I finished another one of my HP stories: Sick Pleasures, I should have more time to update this. If you haven't read Sick Pleasures yet, and you're interested in keeping yourself busy with another HP story, you should start with that now that it's finished. Hopefully I can update this story soon!

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	4. A Plan

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Metamorphosis

Chapter 3: A Plan

The house was much quieter than it had been before. The dripping of water from the plumbing echoed throughout the cold, musty house, giving an eerie feel to the atmosphere. Behind a door, hidden beyond a secret entrance, were many witches and wizards gathered to discuss a meeting. All wore grim faces, a few wiping stray tears from their eyes. One witch in particular, with red hair and slightly plump, was blowing her nose loudly as she cried on her husband's shoulder.

"There, there, Molly," Arthur tried to soothe her, his own heart aching.

"I can't...believe it...," she sniffled, dabbing at her eyes even as more tears came down. "He wasn't supposed...to die...Arthur. This was one...of my biggest fears, besides losing you or the children. I knew...he had too much on his shoulders...," she trailed off, sobbing again.

Arthur patted her back, "We have to be strong, Molly, and have faith. The war is just beginning and our children need to feel safe and secure."

"How can we win without Harry?" she sobbed again.

"Molly, they haven't found a body yet. He might still be alive."

She glanced up at him, her eyes slightly wider than normal, before bursting into tears. Arthur, realizing what he said didn't exactly come out the way he planned, rocked her tightly in his arms. The other witches and wizards in the Order gathered around were quietly talking amongst themselves. They were suddenly hushed as Dumbledore appeared in front of them, a grim look on his features. Dumbledore glanced at each one of them before stepping forward.

"There's been another attack," he said gravely.

Many gasped and turned to one another, disbelief written in their features. Molly began crying harder and Arthur sat up straighter in his seat.

"Dumbledore, what do you mean? What happened?"

Dumbledore held up his hand to quiet the commotion. His eyes no longer held the same twinkle, but a colder, harder gaze. He appeared much older and much wiser now as he stood before them.

"I have just been informed, through an unlikely source, that during the Quidditch season match in Ireland Dementors appeared. There were at least fifty of them, if not more, and surrounded the area," he spoke gravely.

Molly finally lifted her head, her sobs having stopped due to her shock as she stared up at him. Arthur seemed unable to even move, as if he was rooted to the spot. The others remained silent, each lost in their thoughts while waiting for Dumbledore to continue.

"Is...Was anyone hurt?" Arthur asked quietly.

Dumbledore peered down at him through his spectacles and didn't answer right away. The tension in the air seemed to increase as everyone waited for a response, wondering what the outcome would be. Finally, Dumbledore folded his hands in front of him, his eyes dimly scanning the room. 

"Yes, Arthur, someone was hurt. Several people in fact. The people that were injured were connected to the Ministry. Amelia Bones has been seriously injured. She was, in a sense, stepped on when panic arose and people tried to flee the area. Many others were also injured, though no one's soul was taken," Dumbledore said. "This leads me to believe that the reason they were there wasn't to kill but perhaps they were searching for something."

"Searching for what?" Tonks spoke up from the group.

"That is hard to say. There is still no telling what Voldemort plans are this time around, but I have a feeling that some of the injuries, such as Amelia Bones', was not an accident. I have found that he pays close attention to detail," Dumbledore stated.

The room was silent, except for the occasional sniffles coming from Mrs. Weasley. Arthur licked his dry lips and continued rubbing her back.

"Who was the unlikely source?" he asked quietly.

Dumbledore took a slow breath, "Rita Skeeter. Apparently she was a witness, having been at the game."

"Why in the world would she be there in the first place? She doesn't report sports," Tonks said, looking confused.

Dumbledore's eyes glistened, "I have a feeling we will find out soon. She wishes to meet with the Order, but her reasons are left unknown."

"Maybe she knows something," an auror spoke up.

"Perhaps," Dumbledore said. "Until then it is final that we will be moving students to Beauxbatons."

"Will it be safe there?" Mrs. Weasley asked, drying her eyes. "I mean, you said Hogwarts is the safest place."

"Yes, it is...normally. However, as proved in the past Voldemort's servants have found their way inside. The students will be safe is their whereabouts are unknown. I will send out a signal to all families, not words but a signal that will tell them it has been decided. There is another reason for my doing this," Dumbledore said, pacing slowly. "I am using Hogwarts as bait. Voldemort has always wanted to destroy me, and has always been after Harry Potter. I fear that by now the news of Harry having been pronounced...missing has reached his ears. Hogwarts has been one of his targets so I feel that I may be able to lure him there."

"And the Ireland incident?" Moody spoke gruffly. "You think that was the Dark Lord's work?"

"That is possible. I am not, as this moment, certain of why he would do such a thing, without even killing anyone, but we will know in time."

"What about Fudge? What's he doing?" another auror spoke up.

Dumbledore stopped pacing and turned, "He hasn't responded, but I expected that from him."

"And...Harry?" Mrs. Weasley spoke up.

Dumbledore sighed heavily, "That is still uncertain, Molly, but there is a chance. I believe that Harry is more than capable of taking care of himself. Until further notice, meetings will not be held unless it is of dire need. It is urgent that no members walk alone."

Dumbledore finished and the room remained in silence. None of those in the room noticed the statue at the front had unusually large ears that seemed a touch out of place.

Upstairs, two floors above the room, a door was closed and weeping could be heard. Behind the door, Ron, Fred, George, Ginny and Hermione were all huddled together. Ginny and Hermione were crying, and Ron was trying his best not to let his emotions get to him.

"He'll be all right, I know he will," Ron said quietly, glancing over at his brothers.

Fred and George were for once silent, unable to say anything. Hermione wiped at her eyes roughly until the tears disappeared. Her nose was still red, her eyes swollen from crying.

"We've got to do something," she said in a shaky voice.

Ginny looked up at her, tears sliding down her cheeks as she continued to sob. Ron blinked several times, desperately trying not to cry.

"What can we do?" he asked weakly.

Hermione took in a deep breath, wiping at her eyes one last time, "If he is still alive...there may be a small chance...and, we would not only be breaking rules but a couple laws too."

Ron lifted himself from the creaky old bed and stood up, "What is it, Hermione?"

Ginny's sobbing seemed to quiet down as she looked her expectantly.

"If Harry is still alive there's no way he can get into the wizard world," she said, her voice less shaky. "There's a way we can temporarily get through the barricade to send him a message. It's illegal, but it should work."

"That's dangerous! What if a Death Eater gets it before it reaches him?" Ron asked.

"I won't write a full letter to him, I'll just give him some hints! There's a way he can get through the barricade!"

"There is?" Ginny asked, sniffling.

Hermione nodded, biting her lip, "Yes, it's illegal too, for him to do such powerful magic, but...it'll work! It should work!"

"But Hermione, if we don't address the letter to him, and we just send him random words, do you really think he's going to understand? He may think a Death Eater sent him the message!" Ron exclaimed in a hushed tone.

"Ron, don't you remember when Harry solved the puzzle to the chamber of secrets? I was petrified so I couldn't help you guys, but he figured it out all by himself, and with the slip of paper he found in my hand. This letter will be like that slip of paper. I know he'll figure it out!" she exclaimed, staring at them with desperation. "Ron, please...we have to try," she whispered, on the verge of crying.

Ron was silent for a minute before nodding, "All right, Hermione. We'll give this a shot. And if he is alive, we have to make sure it'll find him."

Hermione's lip trembled but she held the tears back and nodded with determination, "It will, as long as we can get through the barricade. In order to do that though we'll have to get into the Ministry of Magic."

Ron groaned, "Oh not again, Hermione! You know how that worked last year."

"We got in didn't we!" she snapped, immediately covering her mouth. "Sorry...it's just, he needs our help Ron. If there is any chance he can survive it's with our help!"

Ginny wiped at her eyes and hoisted herself to her feet. "Let's do it," she said quietly, her eyes alight with hope.

Ron sighed exasperated, "All right...but don't have those...those invisible creatures to get us in. The Ministry will be highly guarded."

Hermione nodded, "Yes, but your dad works at the Ministry. Convince him to take us into work to show us something...anything at all!"

"What's the plan?" Fred asked.

"The plan is that we need to sneak into the office of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. From that room we can see where the barricade is set up. If we're careful we can open a very small hole in the barricade in order to send Harry a message. And we can charm the letter to go directly to Harry. The charm that will do that is very, very advanced magic, something I'm not even supposed to do. They could trial me for breaking the law for Underage Wizardry, but it's worth a shot. If Harry comes back I'm sure they'd overlook it!" Hermione said, her voice more stern now.

"How would we get into it without anyone noticing?" Ron asked her.

Hermione sighed, her eyebrows furrowing in thought, "Well...it's on level two of the Ministry building. And if we use the elevator and pretend like we're searching for the bathroom or something....oh I don't know! Maybe we'll just have to convince Amelia Bones."

"Who's that?" Ginny asked tentatively.

"She's the head of the Department," Hermione answered.

George's eyes widened, "No way!"

"What?" Ron asked.

"Well, it's just that...Fred and I were spying on the Order again. This time, there wasn't any good news. Apparently Dementors showed up at the Quidditch game in Ireland for some reason. And Amelia Bones was there, with some other members of the Ministry. She was injured, along with many others, but luckily no one got killed. Dumbledore doesn't know why the Dementors were there, but from the look on his face it can't be good."

"That's strange," Hermione murmured. She was listening intently, obviously storing the information in the back of her mind for later use.

"Without a head to the Department, all we have to do is distract anyone from the Ministry who's nearby. Fred and I can do that while you two sneak in," George said glancing at Ron and Hermione.

"Why can't I sneak in?!" Ginny asked, looking at them angrily.

"Because you have to keep dad distracted so he doesn't realize they've gone. You know how he gets when he's explaining something in detail. So keep on asking him questions," Fred said.

"I have a feeling we're going to get in big trouble for this," Ron said, swallowing.

"If it means saving Harry then that's all that should matter," Hermione said.

No one said anything, but the looks on their faces confirmed that they agreed.

"So, when should we go?" Ron asked.

"We need to go as soon as possible! When the meeting is over, Ron you have to ask your dad if we can all visit the Ministry. Tell him that it's because you and I are thinking of becoming a member some day. And tell him that it would be a good influence on Ginny, so that she can come," Hermione said. "And for Fred and George...um...just tell him that they want to see Percy."

"But we're not getting along with Percy!" Fred stated firmly, glaring at the floor.

"I know that, but if Ron just tells your dad that you two want to try talking to him once more, he'll let you come. Otherwise he'll be suspicious," Hermione said.

"All right, all right, as long as we don't have to actually talk to the bloke," Fred grumbled.

"At least not until the war's over," George added.

Before Hermione could say something else they heard a noise coming from downstairs. They all froze and listened, hearing murmurs and voices down below. For a few seconds they just stared at one another, not uttering a sound. Hermione swallowed and took a deep breath, turning to Ron.

"You ready?"

Ron nodded, clearing his throat, "Ready."

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XXXXX

His feet were pounding on the ground as he ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He had distracted the Dementor with his Patronus Charm, since he had found out that he was separated from the wizard world so he was able to do magic, but more Dementors had began popping up everywhere. So Harry ran as fast as he could, dodging trees and crossing through people's yards. He didn't care as long as it took him away from the Dementors, who were searching for his soul. His heart was hammering so loudly in his ears he could scarcely hear his erratic breathing.

He suddenly halted as he realized he had come to a fence. He wheeled around behind him, seeing something flying toward him in the distance. With the last of his strength, he climbed up over the fence and ducked into a bush. He peered out from behind the leaves, watching as several hooded figures landed, their raspy breathing loud enough for Harry to hear from his spot.

The Dementors began to move over the ground, swiftly and silently in search for him. Two of them began searching around the house and in the next yard, one remained there, nearby to where he hid. Harry held his breath a the Dementor lifted its hooded head, as if trying to smell, or sense, something in the air. It walked forward, its decaying fingers peering from out of its robe as it walked forward toward the garden, which happened to be off to Harry's right. The Dementor walked up to the large garden, looking to see if Harry was lying beneath the rose bush, or any of the other plants. As it began to walk away, not finding anything, Harry noticed some of the flowers beginning to wilt. The Dementor's hand brushed up against one of the roses and it immediately shriveled up.

Harry realized he was still holding his breath, not allowing himself to breathe, so it let it out gently. The Dementor's head suddenly wheeled around, looking straight in the direction where Harry was hiding. He suddenly felt his insides squirm with fear and was frozen to the spot. The Dementor began gliding forward toward the bushes where Harry was hiding. Luckily, it turned to the bush several meters away from him, its raspy breathing sending shivers down his spine.

Looking around frantically, Harry picked up a large rock and slowly and carefully lay flat on the ground, turning his body at an angle. The Dementor was walking to the next bush, which was closer to Harry. Turning the opposite way, where the Dementor wasn't facing, he held his breath and threw the rock as hard as he could. It hit the wooden birdfeeder, scaring several birds out of the small bird-house. The Dementor's head turned again, facing the direction. Harry waited, hoping that it would leave the bushes and go investigate. The Dementor didn't appear to be moving at all, and that filled Harry with dread.

Very slowly, the hooded Dementor began to move toward the bird-house, its long, decaying fingers stretched out before it as it searched for the source of the noise. Harry began sliding on the ground in the opposite direction, hoping to escape before the Dementor noticed. His fingers gripped into the dirt on the ground as he pulled himself forward, looking back now and then to make sure the Dementor was still distracted. He quickly looked back again before crawling quickly on his hands and knees to the bush the Dementor had looked in first. He took several deep breaths, pulling himself forward again. There was a gate nearby that led out of the yard in the opposite direction of which the other two Dementors had been. If Harry could reach it, he would be able to run elsewhere.

Just then the back door to the house opened and a woman stepped out, carrying a water bucket. Harry's heart froze in place as she came down the steps. He was thinking that she would see him if she went over to the garden and wonder what he was doing, but that thought was stripped away when the woman let out a loud scream, dropping the water bucket as she laid eyes on the Dementor.

"Frank! Frank, come quick! A thief!" she screamed running back inside the house.

Harry's head turned where the Dementor was staring at the bird-house and found it was distracted by a new victim. It glided across the yard toward the door. Harry was hoping with all his might that it couldn't get inside. The Dementor's hands touched the doorknob and it suddenly let out an inhuman howl as it flew back, as if it had been shocked. Harry could feel relief wash over him, wondering why Dementors could be in the muggle world, but not get into people's houses. All his relief died inside him as the door opened again and a man stepped out with a bat.

"You there! Get out of our yard!"

_No! You stupid muggle get back inside!_

Harry was frozen in his spot, unable to move as the Dementor swept forward. The man, looking frightened but angry at the same time.

"Get out, or I'll call the police!" he said.

The Dementor only strode closer and the man lashed the bat out at it. Surprisingly, the Dementor caught it with fast reflexes and yanked it out of his hand, throwing it at least two yards over. The man's eyes widened and he stumbled backward, tripping on the steps as he tried to get back inside. Harry knew it was all over when the man clutched at his chest, his breathing becoming irregular. He was feeling the effects of the Dementor. All the pain in his life, the hopeless feelings, the doubts, they were all coming forward as he kneeled down gasping for breath.

Half of him was screaming to produce the Patronus Charm even if the Dementors found him, just to save this man, but even as he reached into his pocket to pull out his wand he realized he was all ready too late. The Dementor had lifted the man up with ease, wrapping its decaying fingers around his neck as it brought its hole for a mouth down upon his. The man began thrashing violently, trying to get it off him to no avail. Harry watched with wide eyes, his face having paled, as the man began to grow paler and paler, his eyes bulging out of their sockets. His hands and feet began to shake until he was finally dropped down. A clear blue light erupted from the man's mouth and the Dementor sucked it in greedily.

If he had had anything in his stomach, he would've thrown up by now, but he hadn't had breakfast and hadn't been hungry for dinner the night of the attack on the Dursleys. His stomach was aching with hunger, but he was too shocked at the sight to do anything. The Dementor stood there for several minutes before it turned and flew off, having been satisfied. Harry weakly pulled himself out of the bushes, staring at the man from a distance. Slowly, the man sat up his eyes having a faraway look to them as he stared blankly around, as if he didn't see the beautiful sun or the flowers blooming nearby. He was an empty vessel now.

Harry had to get away before the woman came back to see her husband in such a state. His stomach was feeling more nauseous by the minute as he ran through the gate and into the next yard. He ran for a little ways before stopping to catch his breath. He lifted his head to see where he was and was surprised to find he had gone in a very large circle, and was back near the park by the Dursleys house. Harry slowly headed back that way, feeling worse than he had all that summer. He walked through the park and followed the path back toward the neighborhood he essentially grew up in. He turned the corner and suddenly stopped in his tracks. He had expected the police to be there, or the fire department, or anything. It was, however, completely empty. And Harry didn't need to ask why. Where the Dursley's house had been, the flames of the fire so high it touched the sky, there was nothing. No trace of it ever having been there.

At first, Harry wondered if everyone's memories had been erased of the Dursleys, but then he realized that no one in the neighborhood would probably even realize they were gone. The Dursleys weren't the most popular in the neighborhood, especially with strange incidents that happened in the past, unfortunately a lot of them due to him. Harry doubted any of the neighbors would even notice the house was gone. Wondering if that was a good thing, or a bad thing, Harry went toward the house that was now the one on the end, Mrs. Figg's house. He had thought at first going back to the same place would've been stupid, but since the Dursley's house was gone, so there was no way Death Eaters would think he'd be around an area of dirt, it was safer. And none of the Death Eaters, or Dementors, he bet, knew that he had a spare key to Mrs. Figg's house. After all, the Death Eaters he had spied on previously knew she was his neighbor, but said nothing about him coming to her house and staying with her. So they wouldn't suspect he had a way of getting inside.

Fishing the key chain from his pocket that he carried around with him always, that also had the Dursley's key in case Dudley tried locking him outside again, he used it to get inside Mrs. Figg's house. There was a musty smell, and an odor of cat's as well, but otherwise things seemed to be in order. He closed the door and looked around. Mrs. Figg had obviously left most of her possessions in the house. The living room was small with one couch and two chairs. They were a bit dusty, but otherwise in good shape. Feeling a little uncomfortable at having entered someone's home without permission, Harry slowly moved to the kitchen. Upon opening it, he found that there was some food left. There was left over pasta, some fruit and some juice to go with it. Harry ate it hungrily, forgetting about the incident with the Dementor for the time being. When he was finished he decided to check out the upstairs, since he'd most likely be sleeping there, unless a Dementor showed up. The upstairs was small, but Mrs. Figg's bedroom was much bigger than the one he had at the Dursley's. She had a small bureau by her bed, and the sheets were set neatly upon it as if the bed had never been touched. A book shelf was up against the wall to the far corner of the room. Several books were strewn upon the small table near the bathroom, that also had a vase full of flowers. Harry realized that for the flowers to have lasted this long, Mrs. Figg must have put a very minor spell on them.

Harry approached the bed and glanced at one of the books. It read: _A Squib's Guide to Easy Magic. _Another book read: _Spells, Charms and Transfigurations, A Complete Guide. _The other books were ordinary books not having to do with the wizard world. He moved the books to the table and sat down on the bed, thinking to himself.

__

"I wish Hedwig was here," he murmured quietly.

Harry was glad she was safe somewhere, hopefully with Ron or Hermione, but at the same time he felt incredibly lonely. Even more lonely than when he was at the Dursley's. This time he didn't even have relatives he didn't like around, he was completely alone, vulnerable and scared at what was going on. There were still so many things that confused him, such as how Voldemort got the barricade up, or maybe it was his Death Eaters. And he wanted to know what was happening in the wizard world. Had Voldemort attacked again? Had the war begun? What was obviously though was that Voldemort's Death Eaters wanted him out of the way…or maybe they needed him out of the way.

"But for what?" Harry whispered inside the empty house.

__

A soft mew snapped him out of his trance and he looked down to see a cat walking toward him. Harry stared down at the cat and wondered why Mrs. Figg hadn't taken her cats with him. Then it dawned on him.

__

"Of course. No one thinks she's strange, or suspect she's a witch. They think she's a harmless, sweet old woman. I bet Mrs. Figg asked a neighbor to keep an eye on her cats, which means they'll be coming by sometime today or tomorrow. I can't let anyone see me here, they'll think I've broken in."

__

The cat seemed to tilt her head in question before jumping up on his lap meowing softly. Harry pet her, smiling a bit.

__

"I guess you remember me, huh?"

__

Harry sighed, letting the cat drop back to the floor before heading back downstairs. He went back into the kitchen and looked around, finally spotting all of the bowls the cats ate out of. Some of them had left over food, which meant that the cats had all ready been fed. He'd be safe for now. Sighing with relief, he went back up the stairs, suddenly feeling very drained. He took off his shoes and socks, also putting his glasses down on the bureau before slipping into the bed. He felt the bed move and soon found a cat lying in the bed beside him. Reaching his hand from under the covers, he began to pet one of the other cats gently.

__

"I wonder what Ron and Hermione are doing. I hope they're not worrying too much about me," he said, his eyes dimming at the mention of his friends. "If only there was a way out…The Dementors will find me here eventually."

__

He closed his eyes, not wanting to think about everything that had happened that summer, or anything at all. He just wanted to rest and replenish his strength, because he knew he was going to need it.

TO BE CONTINUED…

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Author's Note: I know this was delayed a couple days, sorry about that. Next time I'll give myself a little more room to update. I should have the next date out soon on my profile as to when this story will be updated. I am starting a new Harry Potter story, which will be the sequel to Sick Pleasures. I hope to update this before the fall!

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Next Chapter; preview: (possibly a two-part) _Ron, Hermione and them go to the Ministry of Magic. Harry goes out to find some food and encounters another run from Dementors. Voldemort prepares to stage another attack. Bella and the other Death Eaters find out who sent out the information that Voldemort wanted Harry killed. (part 2 ?) Dumbledore and the Order meet with Rita Skeeter and find out something interesting. And finally Harry figures out exactly what he needs to do to get back into the wizard world._

To Reviewers:

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MalusMagus: Thanks! Sorry for the delay. At least it didn't take me as long as last time to update. Anyway, I hope to update this shortly, probably in a couple weeks. I do have a couple other stories to update first. Thanks for being patient!

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Nicola: hehehe! Well, I can't answer all your questions, since that would ruin the story for you. Don't worry though, Harry's been through worse, right? Next chapter should explain more.

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Gallandro-83: Sorry about the short delay. Luckily this didn't take me half as long to update as last time. I'm getting better! Sorry to keep you on a cliffhanger. I hope to update this story in about two weeks. I will put an estimation date on my profile in a couple days so you'll know around when to expect an update. And hopefully it'll be a two-part like I'm planning. Thanks for being patient though. Sometimes my muse gives me a hard time. Just to give you some hints, about your questions, there isn't going to be much romance, and Harry isn't going to be stuck in the muggle world for years. The entirety of this story probably won't extend past a year. Although Harry may not be stuck in the muggle world for too long, that doesn't mean the problem will be fixed, so there will be some consequences. But that's not the gist of the plot actually. The barricade between the two worlds is important (especially to Voldemort's plan), but it's not the main problem that will be happening. Anyway, hope that helps a little.

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Bookworm2000: I'm glad you're liking this!! You've been with me for so long, it's so cool! Hehehe. So, how's your army coming along? Have you taken over the world yet? I could see it as a TV show too, with all those questions! A lot of questions will be answered in the next couple of chapters. I hope to update this soon. Oh! And I'm finally getting the prologue to the sequel to Sick Pleasures up. I seem to fall behind in updating these days. Ah well, until the next chapter!

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C. thorne: Thanks! I know I haven't been updating too fast, but I'm trying to keep the updates constant. Right now I'm actually working on the sequel to Sick Pleasures, called Interference, that will be up by tonight I'm hoping. (It was delayed a couple days). Anyway, if I do take a couple weeks to update this, hopefully the sequel and other stories will distract you until I update! Thanks for being patient!

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Iniysa: Thanks!! I'll update hopefully in a couple weeks!


	5. A Premonition

**Metamorphosis**

**Chapter 4: A Premonition**

_The hallway laid out before him was familiar; the long dark stretch of corridor leading to closed doors that he wanted so bad to open. He was running again, trying to catch up with the doors, winding down hallways that he didn't know but somehow he needed to reach a destination. There was a door that appeared out in front of him—a door that was vaguely familiar but at the same time he didn't think he'd ever seen that particular door. It wasn't black like the other doors or brown, but rather a grey-silver color. It appeared old for the hinges seemed to have been rusted together and the color a little worn and because of its aged state he figured it hadn't been opened in quite some time, perhaps a century or two. _

_ Harry could feel his heart hammering in his chest as he approached the door, staring down at the knob. He was afraid this time of what he'd find behind it, wondering if it was some trick planted in his mind, but at the same time still so curious. Grabbing a hold of the handle, he took a deep breath and turned the knob before pushing the door open. It didn't budge very easily, but he managed to get the creaky old door open enough so he could slip through. _

_ The room inside was none other than the same room in which Harry had grabbed the prophecy contained in a tiny sphere—the prophecy that foretold his parents' murder and Voldemort's downfall. It was the same room, yet behind a different door. Harry was momentarily stunned and confused. He could see the tiny spheres glimmering in their respective places, with the exception of the prophecy that had smashed to pieces only a few months ago. He walked forward several steps, wondering if perhaps this was just a regular dream he was having about what happened that night. It wouldn't be the first time he had dreamt about it over and over. Each time it came to the part where Sirius' smiling face disappeared behind the veil he would wake up. Somehow though, Harry was sure this wasn't the same, for there was no one else with him; no Ron, no Hermione, no Neville, no Luna…He was all alone. _

_ He wanted so bad to jump through the veil and see what was behind it. There had to be more to it he was almost positive. If he could figure out the mystery of the veil perhaps there was a chance he could get Sirius back. Thinking of Sirius brought the familiar pang in his chest. Biting his lip to keep from becoming too upset, he approached one of the spheres nearest to him and made a move to reach out and grab it. Perhaps smashing all of the spheres, which happened to be what caused the problem in the first place along with the dream, like he had smashed objects in Dumbledore's office would ease the emotional pain slightly. _

_ His fingers had just reached out to grasp one when his fingers slipped right through it. He blinked and pulled his hand back before trying it again. It was as if the room before him was a mirage that didn't exist in the first place; that not only was he dreaming, but that even in his dream the room wasn't real. His attention was suddenly broken when another door on the opposite side of the room burst open. He pulled his hand away sharply, wheeling around as several cloaked figures stormed into the room. He backed up as quickly as he could against the wall—only there was no wall. He slipped straight through it to the other side but somehow could still see through the wall and was able to watch the figures, almost like he was looking through a pensive except it was in his dream. _

_ "Can you believe that pompous ass!" a feminine voice screeched, not expecting an answer from the tone of her voice. "And to think I once held that man in high regard!"_

_ "Calm down Bella before you set something else on fire," a cool, male voice responded. "We knew it was one of the top servants who got the message directly, we just never expected Dolohov to be behind it."_

_ Bella Lestrange wheeled around to glare at him, her hood coming off from around her face so that Harry could clearly see the look of utter rage. She was standing a mere ten feet from where he was positioned although her back was to him. Harry held his breath even from behind the transparent wall. _

_ "Be calm? How the bloody hell can I remain calm when we've been tricked!? Do you not understand what has happened here?!" she yelled, glaring directly at the several cloaked figures in front of her. "We have been striving to get up to our liege's top ten servants because that would be an incredible honor. It was hard enough even doing the simple missions and Dolohov is in the top ten and he's the one who sent us the false mission to kill the boy in the first place! Now, since there's no proof it was him, we'll get either kicked down to the very low of servant-status and have to work really hard to get back up, which will take years if not forever, or we'll get killed for our disobedience!" _

_ Bella took a deep breath, her face appearing slightly red even in the very dim light of the room. It was silent for several minutes until one of the other figures slowly lowered their hood. Harry could just barely make out his features enough to see that it was Macnair. _

_ "I don't believe that it was through Dolohov alone. I think that someone else was hiding behind him, someone who has hated the boy personally and not just indirectly through our liege," Macnair said quietly. _

_ "You mean…Malfoy?" Bella's eyes widened, her lips settling into a frown. "But he was with us when we went to the house."_

_ "Yes, only to make us believe that it wasn't him who betrayed us, but we all know that's something Lucius is capable of. His confrontations with Potter aren't unknown to many of us and in fact I've witnessed a couple inside the Ministry building before and during Malfoy's trials. Trust me when I say that Lucius loathes Potter."_

_ "Yes, but what would it gain him?" another Death Eater asked. "Eventually our liege will find out Harry Potter wasn't killed by us and that we lied to him."_

_ "Well we can't let that get out, now can we?!" Bella snapped. "We have to keep this our little secret until master has completed his final task. He knows that Dumbledore expects the attack and that's when it will all begin. We have to report to him soon anyway. Hopefully he'll like the information I'm going to give him," her lips quirked into a sneer. "I captured and tortured one of the members of the Order, Kingsley Shaklebolt. I've learned some highly useful information, but unfortunately he didn't know where the item was located."_

_ "Your successful mission will only buy us a little time before master once again requests that the boy's body be found. If he has been captured by a Dementor, or has starved to death, there's no telling where he could be," Macnair stated solemnly. _

_ "Not to mention we can't get through the barricade," another Death Eater spoke up. "Not unless it was deactivated."_

_ Bella grumbled something that Harry couldn't hear as she turned and began pacing. _

_ "There's no way we're going to deactivate it! And besides, the only way is from the Ministry but master can't take over that yet because it's too highly guarded. We'll just have to wait and hope that Potter's body won't be too hard to track down," Bella said irritably. _

_ "Yeah, _if_ he's dead," one of the Death Eaters grumbled. _

_ Bella sent him a nasty glare, but her eyes showed that she was concerned as well. They were silent for several seconds before Macnair unfolded his arms and raised his hood again to cover his face. _

_ "We must leave now, master wants us to report," he said, wincing as he glanced down at his arm. "The only thing we can do now is wait. After master's second stage is completed he will have access to the Ministry and finally figure out the Ministry's most secret mystery."_

_ "I still don't know what that _thing_ can do for us!" Bella snapped, shaking her head. "But obviously it's not my place to question master's orders. Let's go."_

_ They all disappeared with a pop and Harry was able to breathe a sigh of relief. Before he could even blink the walls around him began disappearing and blurring together until he couldn't make out any individual objects. He shut his eyes tightly, waiting for the swirling images to just vanish and the next thing he knew he felt his stomach flip as if he was being dropped straight down from a very high height. _

Gasping and clutching the old bed covers, Harry woke up in a sweat, accidentally kicking one of the cats off the bed. He heard a sharp hiss before the cat scattered out of the room. He looked around the dark room, his eyes trying to adjust even as his mind registered where he was. He sighed with partial relief realizing that he wasn't in the Ministry, but wasn't completely relieved by the fact that he was still all alone and secluded in Mrs. Figgs' house. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes and unconsciously rubbed his scar as he slipped out of the bed. Glancing at the clock, he realized it was just barely six in the morning. His stomach grumbled loudly from lack of food but he chose to ignore it for the moment. The dream he had just had was obviously from his connection with Voldemort through his scar, but he realized that since he had found out about the barricade being put up it seemed that his bond was lessening. The dream had faded away like all the others until he no longer saw Voldemort himself, but now it was just his Death Eaters and unfortunately that hadn't lasted long either.

_That just means that I can no longer rely on my scar as a valuable source in finding out Voldemort's plans. This may even have been the last vision…but did I learn anything? They never said what Voldemort was after, but apparently it's something inside the Ministry. He all ready got the prophecy, or tried to get it, so what else could he possibly want? Even Bella thought that what he wanted might not be useful. By the tone of her voice she's obviously surprised he wants it. But I can't think of anything in the Ministry, unless…could Voldemort have figured out that his weakness lies beyond that door—the door that apparently has my strength, as Dumbledore said. _

Harry sighed deeply. There was no way of knowing this time around what Voldemort was up to. Obviously he was staging an attack on Hogwarts, but Bella had also said it was a distraction so that they could get into the Ministry building when its defenses are down.

_Hold on…weren't they inside the Ministry building when I had the dream? This is confusing. Unless that part I made up in my mind. It could've been a mirage based on my nightmares about the incident that happened there that I've been having over the summer at the Dursleys…Or maybe whatever Voldemort wants is in the same room as where the prophecy was and somehow Voldemort's Death Eaters invaded my premonition of what Voldemort was imagining, which happened to be that room. I wonder if he could sense me?_

He decided it wasn't best to dwell on that thought. If Voldemort knew he was still alive then he would've sent more Dementors after him, but obviously Voldemort thought he was dead. Harry's eyebrows furrowed in thought. Something didn't make sense, and it was more than the confusing dream it was Voldemort's strategy. It wasn't like him to take the direct approach and orchestrate an attack on Hogwarts. That seemed a bit…out of character for him. And the fact that he was even going to great lengths to distract everyone in order to get inside the Ministry, something that he had done not to difficultly just a few months previously to get the prophecy.

"What does he want?" Harry asked aloud.

He rubbed his temples, searching for his glasses on the bureau before getting up. He noticed that a couple cats were still sleeping on the bed, apparently not affected by Harry's movement. He went down the small flight of stairs and into the kitchen in order to find something to eat. He never thought he would be thankful for having been starved most of his life by the Dursleys. It enabled him to not have to eat very much to be sustained for a relatively long period of time. He could even go for days not eating anything, but every little bit helped. The refrigerator was practically empty, except for some milk, so he instead checked the cupboards.

Harry sighed, "Figures she'd have cat food but nothing for a human to eat."

He felt something press up against his leg and looked down to see two cats rubbing up against him and purring. Obviously they were as hungry as he was. Grabbing the last two cans, knowing that someone was taking care of them anyway (probably a house sitter), he opened them and dumped them into one big bowl for the cats to share. Searching through the bottom cupboards he managed to find some crackers. They were slightly stale, but it would have to do for the time being. He didn't have any muggle money to buy anything, but he did have wizard money.

Harry bit into one of the crackers and sat down on the couch in the living room. Several more cats had come into the kitchen to eat the cat food so he was sure they'd be all right until the house sitter came. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do now. He could try to use his wizard money to buy some food, but he was certain he couldn't stay in Mrs. Figgs' house, not forever anyway. Eventually either the house sitter would find him, or a Dementor would. And he couldn't live on stale crackers for long either. There had to be something he could do besides trying to survive another day. He _had_ to get into the wizard world.

_ There has to be a way to get back. This can't be it! I won't die here and especially not thanks to Lucius Malfoy!_

Harry seethed with anger. It was all because of him that he was stuck in his position, not that it would've been better for the Death Eaters to have captured him and brought him back to Voldemort instead. What he needed was information on the barricade, like a book, but where was he going to get that? It wasn't like the muggle world carried books on wizard abilities. Harry sighed heavily and covered his face with his hands.

_I wish Hermione were here, she'd know what to do. _

"Hermione!" Harry suddenly exclaimed, jumping off the couch. "Her parents live in the muggle world! Maybe she left some books there that could help me. But how do I figure out how to get there?"

Harry thought for a moment, trying to remember where Hermione said her parents lived. He was pretty sure it was a couple towns away from where the Dursleys lived, but he wasn't sure how to get there. He could apparate there but he'd have to know the exact coordinates, not to mention it was dangerous because he had just learned how to apparate from Hermione during the beginning of summer when she sent him the books for him, but he had never actually performed it.

"Where was it she said she lived? She had said the place her parents had gotten was nearby some theatres and other great places of education, like museums…And I think she said she lived not to far from the Hogwarts train station so she must live near King's Cross. So if she lives nearby a museum that would probably be…the London Canal Museum! She also said she occasionally took a bus to the British Library, especially before she found out she was a witch. So she must live on one of those streets near there. And if she said she lives only a few blocks from the museum it can only be one street: Caledonian Road! But how do I get there?"

Harry knew there was no way he could walk, nor take the muggle train because he didn't have any muggle money and even if he could get some he didn't know which stop to take. It would waste too much time figuring it out and Harry was limited on time. The only choice was apparating, but from the distance he was at to go several cities over was incredibly dangerous especially for an amateur who had never officially apparated before. Sure, Harry read all the books Hermione sent him over the summer, since he had nothing else to do but mope in his sorrow and ignore the Dursleys, but actually physically doing the apparating was completely different. Not to mention if the Ministry ever found out he'd be prosecuted for underage magic. He wasn't even sixteen yet and the law was that one had to be seventeen to get their apparating license.

_Great, my birthday is in five days and I'm trapped in the muggle world, the one place I don't want to be right now, away from friends, shelter or anyone that can help me. The Dursleys house has been destroyed and there are Demtentors roaming around searching for me to suck out my soul. This is definitely the worst summer ever._

Harry sighed, "Sarcasm is not going to help me. I need a plan."

There was only one thing to do and that was to apparate. Frankly, he'd have to take the risk. It was better than running into a Dementor any day. Just to make it easier, and possibly safer, he'd have to get as close as possible to the city first. Harry decided the only way was to walk or…

"Fly a broom," he whispered aloud, his eyes lighting up.

He had luckily shrunk his broom and stuck it in his pocket the night the Death Eaters had attacked. He also shrunk his invisibility cloak and almost everything that had been under the floorboard of his room. All of his Hogwarts books and papers though had been burned with the house, along with Dudley's old clothes. He could exchange some of his wizard money for muggle money, after all gold was worth something in the muggle world in cash. And that way he could buy himself some new clothes so he wasn't wearing the same clothes every day. Then after he changed into new clothes and performed a cleansing charm on himself, he could apparate to Hermione's house. He knew of a pawn shop just a few blocks over from Dudley's school that might take his gold.

Throwing the empty cracker box away, Harry got up and headed for the door, making sure that his shrunken supplies were still in his pocket. He was just about to open the door when the knob jiggled. Harry's eyes widened as he stepped back, unsure of what to do. Dementors couldn't open doors, could they? One had tried to chase the muggle woman Harry had seen, but hadn't been able to get through the door. He licked his dry lips and approached the door cautiously, peering through the peep hole. A middle-aged woman was standing outside turning a key inside the slot. Harry jumped back and quickly dodged behind the couch just as the door was pushed open.

The woman entered and took off her shoes, putting the keys down on the table. Harry was crouched right behind the couch where she couldn't see him from her position, but if she walked into the living room she'd spot him instantly.

"Hello there kitties," she cooed, smiling as the cats began approaching her. "Are you hungry? Yes, I bet you are," she smiled again, walking past the couch and toward the kitchen.

Harry nearly stifled a gasp, remembering that he had left the opened cat food cans on the counter. Swiftly, he crawled out from behind the couch and slowly approached the kitchen, keeping out of her sight. He peered into the kitchen and watched as she approached the cupboards.

"Oh, what's this?" she commented aloud, glancing down at the opened cans. "You've all ready been fed. I'm sure I didn't leave this out…"

She pursed her lips in thought and dumped the cans into the sink to be washed later. She turned around facing the doorway that led from the living room into the kitchen. Harry had quickly ducked behind the wall between them when he saw she was going to turn. She was definitely suspicious. He heard her footsteps begin moving and knew she was coming toward him. There was only one thing he could do and that was to use his invisibility cloak. Quickly, he pulled it out of his pocket and enlarged it just as she came around the corner. He held his breath, hoping that she wouldn't brush up against him.

Her eyes roamed over the rooms and she walked slowly around as if expecting someone to jump out at her. Harry stayed pinned up against the wall still holding his breath. She turned around looking in every directly and though her eyes past over him she didn't see him. Finally she sighed and shook her head.

"I need to get more sleep," she muttered. "All right, who wants to go outside?" she called out.

Several of the cats walked out of the kitchen and into the living room as she directed them to the door. One, however, decided to linger around where Harry was since she could obviously smell him. She sniffed his leg and began purring and arching her back against him. Harry tried to push her gently away, but she was stubborn and didn't quite take the hint.

"Galinda baby," the woman called out, "what are you doing over there? There's nothing in that corner, come on."

The cat mewed and continued to rub up against Harry's leg. Frowning curiously, the woman began to approach the corner. Harry's stomach flipped in response, knowing that there was no way he'd be able to move or avoid her if she came too close. Again he tried to push the cat away to no avail. He looked up as the woman was closing in, distancing herself from him to a mere five feet. She reached out her arms, preparing to pick up the cat and if she did so she'd brush up against Harry's leg and he was quite certain she wouldn't be very calm about finding an invisible boy.

She bent down to pick up the cat and her fingers unintentionally brushed across the edge of his invisibility cloak. The woman pulled her hand back in surprise and stared at the corner for several minutes even as the cat struggled in her grasp. She blinked, stepping back a ways.

"Must've been a spider web you were sniffing," she said, petting the cat. "Now come on, let's go outside."

The woman then turned around, to Harry's relief and began to approach the door where the other cats were waiting. A chill suddenly crept up his spine and he inwardly shivered. A loud hiss was heard and the woman gasped as the cat leaped out of her arms and raced up the stairs. Several hisses and meows followed as the rest of the cats scattered.

"Hey, come back here! What has gotten into you all?" the woman huffed, putting her arms on her hips. "Well that's odd."

Suddenly, the front door rattled loudly as if the wind had been forced upon it. The wind chime outside was heard for a second before it stopped. The woman turned toward the kitchen and sighed.

"I guess I'll go clean the kitchen then."

_BANG!_

Both she and Harry jumped as the front door rattled more forcefully, shaking violently until even the table by the door was vibrating. The door keys that were resting on the table fell to the floor with a soft clank. The woman put a hand over her chest, sighing with relief after being startled. Before she could turn around again, the door shook with a violent force as if someone were banging on it. The woman jumped back a bit startled and slowly began approaching it.

"I wonder if a storm is coming," she mused aloud.

Slowly, she turned around and headed for the kitchen. A shadow of something flashed past the door. It was too quick to be certain if it was anything, but he automatically tensed. His insides began to tingle with a familiar sensation and goose bumps appeared on his skin. He felt paralyzed to the spot, his eyes watching the door for any movement. A sound came at the door, like a rough tapping sound, or a clawing sound of some sort. Harry's eyes were rooted to the knob as he saw it jiggle slightly but nothing more happened. Footsteps were heard as the woman walked back into the room with a cleaning cloth that she had grabbed.

"Coming, just one second," she announced.

Another chill passed over him as he stood in the corner, watching as the woman put the cloth down on the table by the door. He wanted to say something, _anything_ to make her stop what she was doing. He had the feeling that she shouldn't open the door. Opening his mouth, Harry pushed himself off the wall ready to show himself when she turned the knob and opened the door. There standing with the wind howling around it, its cloak billowing in the breeze as if wrapping loosely around its decaying body, was a Dementor with its hood all the way down exposing its hole for a mouth. The woman didn't even scream. Her face paled over and she stumbled backward too paralyzed to voice her fear.

The door swung open from the force of the wind that hadn't been there before as the Dementor floated inside the house and began advancing on her. The woman's lips were trembling as was the rest of her, probably from shock and also because of the intense horrible feelings Dementors forced upon their victims. The Dementor's decaying hand reached out, its bones cracking as its fingers unwound and reached for her face to pull her mouth closer so it could swallow her soul…

Harry closed his eyes, thinking on everything positive that he could, the most being the time when Sirius asked him to come live with him. He concentrated hard on the feeling of security he felt when around Sirius without trying to dwell on the pain of him being gone. Slowly, he felt his fear begin to subside and his cries for Sirius were fading. His eyes flashed open, glaring at the Dementor that was pulling the woman's sobbing face up to it.

"EXPECTO PATRONUS!" Harry bellowed, pointing his wand out in front of him.

The Dementor's head snapped upward looking directly at Harry through his invisibility cloak and it immediately dropped the woman and sped toward him. A burst of light flooded between them and the Dementor screeched a loud, inhuman cry before it was chased away by the gorgeous stag that had appeared. After a few seconds more of trotting around the stag disappeared into shimmering particles that seeped back into his wand. Harry uncloaked himself and ran to the woman's side to help her up. She had tears streaming down her face and her lips were quivering. She managed to grasp Harry's arm tightly and look up at him with wide eyes.

"Are you…an angel?" she asked, having noticed the bright light that had illuminated in front of her before he showed up.

Harry chose not to answer that and instead helped her over to the couch to lie down.

"Are you all right now?" Harry asked.

"W-what was that thing?" she whispered hoarsely.

"Just relax," Harry said, pulling out his wand again, "I'm going to heal you."

The woman, instead of questioning his wand when she glanced at it, closed her eyes as a signal of trust. Whether or not she believed he was some angel from heaven to rescue her soul and give her a second chance, or whether she figured he was some sort of magical being, she still gave in and allowed him to perform a simple, yet slightly more powerful memory charm than Obliviate. It was only more powerful because he only wanted to erase her memory of the Dementor and seeing him perform magic, not wanting her to forget everything including entering Mrs. Figgs' house. Her breathing evened after the charm was completed and Harry quickly stood up and went to the wide open front door. She would wake up any minute and he couldn't be there now that she didn't remember him.

He slipped out of the house and shrunk his invisibility cloak again. He decided to head to the pawn shop and then focus on getting out of the muggle world, if that was even possible. What mattered most was that the wizard world was in trouble and they would of course assume that Voldemort's attack on Hogwarts was real without realizing they'd be leaving the Ministry unguarded and that's when Voldemort's real plan would take place. There was no telling what he would achieve inside the Ministry so Harry had to act fast. He needed to get to Hermione's house fast and the closest place to her house that he could get to by walking was the train station. After that he'd have to try apparating for the first time and hope that he wouldn't screw it up. It was his only hope now, since he didn't know exactly how to get to Hermione's house. Luckily he still had one of her letters to him stuffed in his pocket so by using something of hers he could focus his apparation on entering her house. That way he wouldn't have to know exactly where her house was.

The walk to the pawn shop wasn't very far. He went inside and saw that there was only one customer who was leaving. It was an elderly man who was probably giving up some of his things, or his wife's from the past. Harry smiled slightly at the old man passing by, who gave him a curt nod, before he approached the counter. The bearded man behind the counter turned toward him.

"And what may I do for you young man?"

"Erm…I was wondering how much this is worth?" Harry said holding out several pieces of wizard money.

The man's eyebrows rose in curiosity and he picked up the five pieces, examining it. Harry bit his lip, hoping that wizard money was worth something. The man seemed to speculate for a few minutes before he stood up.

"I'll be right back, wait right here," he said.

Harry nodded and watched as he walked into the back. He glanced down through the glass cases at several antiques inside, including an old watch. A few minutes later, the man came out of the back room and toward the counter.

"It's real gold and bronze that's for sure," he replied. "Where'd you get these anyway?"

"Oh, they're my grandparents'," Harry answered quickly. "They've been keeping them for years, collectibles I'm guessing, and they gave them to me."

The man nodded while still inspecting the coins.

"Well, I'd say these five coins here are worth about $500."

Harry nearly choked but managed to keep a straight face, "Er…five hundred?"

The man nodded, "Yep. Pure gold like this is hard to find, even in jewelry. I had this examined in the back and somehow, though I don't know how, it appears to be made of the element in its entirety, meaning that there's no other elements mixed into it at all. It's a hundred percent gold. And what's more is that it actually has layers of gold, although you can't see it right away, is gold, upon gold, upon gold, and the same goes with the bronze coins. Whoever crafted this was ingenious. I've never seen anything like it. Five hundred is a good price for all five, since I'd give a hundred for each coin. The bronze is probably worth a little less, but I'm not going to cheat you out of anything," he winked.

Harry smiled, a bit surprised, "Thanks."

"Sure thing," he said, as he counted up the cash and handed it to him. "Now you be careful with that load of money. Keep it out of sight."

Harry nodded, "I'll do that, thanks again."

The man waved to him as he left and Harry inwardly smiled. Although his relatives weren't nice and some of the neighbors were snotty and annoying, some muggles were extremely kind. It was the same in the wizard world too. There were good people and bad people, but those like Voldemort and Slytherins in general believed all muggles were bad, as well as all good-hearted people like Gryffindors.

Now that he had money he could buy some clothes that actually fit him with the small shop down the street and get some food before heading off on a long walk to the train station, or at least as close to the train station as he could get. With that in mind, he walked the couple blocks down the street, keeping alert for any Dementors lurking around, and went into the small clothes shop that he had heard Dudley talking about several times. It was a modern day store with nice styles, though nothing like what Dudley's gang wore. He managed to pick out a pair of black jeans that fit just right, not falling off of him like Dudley's pants did, and he picked up a black shirt. He figured if he'd have to sneak around at night, if he didn't figure out what to do before dark (which was highly possible) then being dressed in black for the night time was the smartest so that he wouldn't be easily seen.

He bought a large sandwich and a drink from the nearby café across the street, thankful that he lived in the city. He took a piece of cake to go for later and then headed in the direction of the train station. On his way there, his mind began to wander. There were things that were beginning to make sense. Voldemort wanted the barricade between the two worlds not only because it prevented the wizard world from intervening, and from kids going to Hogwarts for their first year, but it also made it easier for him to attack the muggle world. After all, the barricade was most likely controlled inside the Ministry, and that's where Voldemort wanted to go. At the moment it was highly guarded, but with the attack on Hogwarts the Ministry will be too focused on protecting the school for the kids.

_But…Dumbledore wouldn't allow the students to go to the school if he knew about the attack would he? The Death Eaters said that Dumbledore was onto them. But where else could they go? Hogwarts is the safest place, unless…unless it's not really Hogwarts at all! Perhaps Dumbledore has decided to use that powerful transfiguration charm to switch the places of Hogwarts and one of the other schools so that one of the other schools will be attacked, when the Death Eaters think it's Hogwarts, and the students will be safe. Still…what's the point of that? And what's this item that Voldemort wants? Dumbledore must know by now that Kingsley is missing. I need to get there now and tell them that Voldemort suspects their diversion! If Voldemort knows all about the disguise upon Hogwarts that Dumbledore is creating then he's all prepared to attack the real Hogwarts and get inside the Ministry. He's got to have twice the size of his army he had previously and it's only been a few months. This is bad…really bad. I need to tell Dumbledore everything I know! What's that…?_

His thoughts were interrupted as his eyes caught something up in the sky flying toward him. He blinked, wondering if it was his imagination or not. It was too far away to see at first. Feeling a bit suspicious, Harry gripped his wand from underneath his sleeve prepared for anything. As it got closer, Harry realized it was a letter and by the way it was flying toward him with a strange color around it, he was guessing it had a charm over it, which meant it was from the wizard world. The letter fell at his feet and he bent down slowly to pick it up. He'd have to be careful in case it was from one of Voldemort's Death Eaters. Opening it up, he read the short message.

_Ten o'clock. King's Cross station. Platform 7._

There was no signature and the handwriting looked magical, which meant someone didn't hand-write it so he wouldn't be able to tell who it was from. And how had they gotten past the barricade? It seemed highly suspicious to him, but then what choice did he have? It was better than risking his life to try apparating for the first time to his friend's house, which he didn't know exactly where it was located. And what if her parents weren't home? No, it would be better to sneak to the destination in the letter at night, wearing his new dark clothes and see what happened. It could be a trap, but then again he was all ready trapped with no where to run. One Dementor had all ready found Mrs. Figgs' house so he couldn't go back there since he was sure they'd be back again, so really he had no choice, he would have to go there at ten p.m. and hope that Lucius Malfoy's plan to kill him wouldn't pull through.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_

**Hey! Sorry for the short delay of the chapter. My estimations are of course estimations but I'm usually always very close to my estimation dates. I'll have another estimation date posted for the next chapter to this in a few days! And don't worry I won't make you wait long at all! **

_Preview to next chapter: __The Order has an interesting visit with Rita Skeeter. One particular Death Eater finds out that Harry Potter is not dead and threatens to bring that news to Lord Voldemort. Riots and panic break out in the wizard world as chaos is on the brink of taking over. And Harry hopes that his late-night trip to the train station won't result in his death. _

To Reviewers: 

**c.thorne**Hehehe, thanks! I know I took some time to get this up, but hopefully I'll be updating regularly now. I'll be updating Interference tonight or tomorrow as well. I hope nothing is confusing so far!

**Clever Hobbit: **And here I thought you would've taken over the world by now. Hehehe! It's been a while since I've written a little message to you. So sad!!! I'll be updating more frequently now, including Interference, which I should be getting up later tonight (hopefully). Anywhoos, fear not, Harry is in for some REAL trouble, muahahahahah!

**Spectra2: **Thank you! Sorry to make you wait sooooooo long for an update. I'll be updating more regularly now though. Thanks for being patient!

**Iniysa**Hey!! Thanks for the link to the Harry Potter scrolls site! I'm actually going to wait until I either finish this story or Interference so I can put that and Sick Pleasures on it. Or at least I'm looking into doing that. Hehehe. I'm kind of lazy, and when I'm not lazy I'm busy with school (aren't we all? O.o Teachers are so cruel these days). Anywhoo, I won't make you wait long for the next chapter!

**Foxylittlechibi**Hehehe, I'm glad you're liking this so far. Yes, I know I've been taking forever in updating this, but it should be better now. I had to take a little mental break because of school, but I'm back now and I promise I won't make you wait as long for the next chapter!

**Kaye: **Hey! I'm so sorry! I know I've been taking forever with updating. I'm in college now though so it's more difficult to continue updating at a constant pace but I'm working on it. I'm going to use Thanksgiving break and any other days off in order to get ahead of schedule and plan out chapters so I can type them up quicker. I should be updating more regularly now, sorry for the wait. I had to take a short mental break, but I'm back! I'll also be updating another chapter of Voldemort's Revenge (revised!) very shortly, as well as Interference! Thanks for being so patient!


	6. Confusion

**Metamorphosis **

**Chapter 5: Confusion**

The streets of Hogsmeade lie still as a cemetery; no signs of life or opened businesses could be seen. It was as if the once happy and crowded area became a ghost town. Five cloaked figures walked down the streets passed stores that were once buzzing with customers. Their destination was The Hog's Head—at least that's where the message they received told them to go. It was the only place that wasn't completely locked up and shut down. The figure in front stopped and knocked on the door to the pub. They heard clunky footsteps as someone from within approached the door. It swung open and an elderly man with a long grey beard and familiar eyes appeared.

"Hello again Albus," the man said.

Dumbledore nodded politely, "It's been a while Aberforth."

Aberforth smiled ever-so-slightly and moved a bit to allow them in. "She's already here—over there," he gestured to a table in the back.

Dumbledore nodded once more and proceeded to the back with the others following him. As they approached the table the Daily Prophet, which was in the hand of the woman sitting there idly, was pulled down. Rita Skeeter smiled casually, "I've been expecting you gentlemen and woman," she glanced at Minerva. "Please, sit down we have much to discuss."

The five of them: Minerva, Dumbledore, Arthur, Moody and Remus all sat down quietly as Rita sat up, her infamous notebook and quill resting beside her.

"Now where shall we begin?" she smiled, leaning forward and resting her chin on top of her hands.

"If I may, Rita," Dumbledore started. "We don't have much time. The war has already begun."

"Yes and we must know why you've called us before we give the Death Eaters time to stir up more chaos," Minerva piped in.

Rita sighed and leaned back. "I will tell you everything I know on one condition."

"Of course," Moody grumbled.

Rita cast him a look but continued. "I want a story like no other—something that not even _The Quibbler_ or _The Seer Informer_ can compete with. I'm sure you've heard since a little while ago when _The Quibbler_ printed young Harry Potter's story about you-know-who coming back and I…well, I didn't, my Daily Prophet has been going downhill."

"That's because you made it appear like Potter was crazy," Moody said, eyeing her strangely.

Rita ignored his comment. "_The Quibbler_ has been doing outstanding lately—so good that I'm about to be put out of business. Even _The Seer Informer_ is doing better than I am and it never came close before. I need something spectacular!" she exclaimed, banging her fist on the table.

Dumbledore folded his hands together patiently. "We understand your distress, Rita. However, what you are asking is for us to give you classified information that could jeopardize our entire future if the wrong people read it just so you can do better than Mr. Lovegood."

Rita crossed her arms but didn't respond.

"We can not under any circumstances jeopardize the lives of everyone for one good article," Dumbledore continued. "However, if you're interested I may have just the thing that will at least put you back into business."

Rita wrinkled her nose in thought then uncrossed her arms. "All right I suppose that will do. What is this 'thing' you speak of?" she asked as her magical quill stood up above the notebook ready to write.

"You may have the first chance to interview young Mr. Potter once this is over with."

Rita stared at him suspiciously. "Excuse me, Dumbledore, but isn't the Potter kid deceased, to put it mildly?"

Dumbledore closed his eyes for a second before opening them.

"I have full confidence in my student. He has been trained well."

Rita sat in thought as the quill tapped in response. Finally, she leaned forward, "Very well. And if he is in fact dead?"

"Then you will have your classified information," he answered and Rita grinned in response. "However, that's only if a body is found and brought to me."

Rita nodded as she opened her notebook, "Yes, yes, of course. Now, the reason why I brought you all here is because I know a few facts that might be of help."

"Why were you at the game?" Moody demanded gruffly.

She stopped flipping through her notebook, a sly smile crossing her face. "Ah yes. That is because I have found the Death Eaters' hideout."

Minerva stared at her in shock, "How is that possible?"

Rita held up a hand, "Let me explain everything. Since the Daily Prophet has started to go downhill I had disguised myself more often as a beetle to find out anything I could. I really don't know how but I must've landed on a portkey while I was buzzing around and I ended up in this strange cemetery. Anyway, I heard some voices and followed them where I found many figures dressed in black robes wearing Death Eater masks. They were climbing up an incredibly steep hill toward a large run-down house. I was incredibly intrigued as you can imagine and buzzed past them to get a good look at the house. There was no address or sign of whose house it was.

As I was observing," she continued, crossing one leg over the other, "some idiot tried to squish me. Luckily enough I got away in time. Unfortunately, I couldn't get inside because I had flown away and the door closed on me before I could slip in. I tried to find an open window but I noticed the house seemed to be guarded by magic and I wasn't about to transfigure back into my human form and try to figure out the counter curse—I'm not that foolish," she said taking a sip of her drink.

Moody tapped his fingers impatiently waiting for her to continue. After a slow breath she spoke again.

"I decided to just wait until they came out again to see if I could overhear anything interesting. I waited there nearly five hours and I was ready to give up when a few came out. That's when I overheard one speaking about some disaster in Ireland that was going to take place during the match so of course I had to attend."

"Did you hear anything else?" Minerva asked.

Rita sat in thought, "Well, something about a Black Hag or whatever but that's all I caught."

Moody rolled his eyes, "So where's this precious information you have?"

Rita glared at him, "It just so happens, Alastor that I heard about Kingsley Shaklebolt being tortured."

"We know this," Moody grumbled.

"He's safely back with us though in terrible condition," Arthur spoke up.

"Yes, but what you don't know is the person I heard it from was none other than Peter Pettigrew," Rita smiled triumphantly. "So I now know he's alive and since it was rumored you were helping Sirius Black I assume that's good news for you. After all, with at least one witness he'll have a better chance of getting his name cleared."

Everyone's eyes but Dumbledore's dimmed. Rita had no idea of course but they remained silent about what happened to Sirius. Dumbledore's expression remained passive though his eyes gleamed unnaturally.

"That is good news," he said. "Do you remember where the portkey is?"

"I remember it's somewhere south in Auldale, right outside of Hogsmeade."

Dumbledore nodded and stood up. "Thank you for your time, Rita. We will get in touch with you later."

"I should hope so," she answered, before she stood up and walked out.

"Great, that was a waste of time," Moody scowled.

Dumbledore turned toward him, "Quite the contrary. She told us much more than she knows."

"What did she give away?" Remus asked.

Arthur sighed, "I hope some good news. Molly really needs it."

Minerva put a hand on his arm in a silent show of comfort.

"I will explain everything on the way back," Dumbledore said, heading out to leave and casting one last glance at the bartender.

The two exchanged secretive looks and Aberforth nodded with a subtle smile on his face. Dumbledore's eyes gleamed gratefully before he headed out. As the door closed behind them the pub was left empty—the bartender having strangely vanished.

**XXXXXX**

The King's Cross station was at least a mile or two away. Harry was jogging in the dark as quickly as he would allow himself. He was afraid that Voldemort's wish would come true if he went there.

_But if I try to hide out his wish might come true anyway. _

He knew he already made up his mind but it made him feel better to think things over in his head. His feet were beginning to feel sore and he was afraid a Dementor might pop out of no where, but for some reason he kept running. His pace slowed as he reached the station, keeping a firm grip on his wand just in case. He looked around for platform 7. He hid behind one of the pillars to wave his wand to see the time. He was ten minutes early. He didn't know what to expect but he was ready for anything. Cautiously he moved toward the train tracks searching around for any signs of a trap.

He stopped still when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He knew this feeling all too well. He whipped out his wand and wheeled around, pointing his wand at the figure behind him Harry's eyes widened. The figure illuminated before him in the dim light looked like Dumbledore, only younger and with a shorter beard.

"Dumbledore?" Harry whispered, staring at the familiar image.

The man took a step forward as if prepared to greet him then without warning he whipped out his own wand and pointed at him. Even without words the disarm spell had been cast and Harry's wand flew out of his hand.

Harry stared back in shock noting that the man's eyes appeared almost fierce. Harry could feel his heart pounding as he realized he let his guard down too easily. Dumbledore would be disappointed in him. Suddenly he wished he could at least say goodbye to him. Perhaps there was a way to reason with the stranger.

The man stood up straight then unexpectedly threw his wand back to him. Harry just barely caught it and he stared at the man in surprise. Did he want to duel? Did he think that had been too easy against the supposedly powerful Harry Potter? To Harry's shock the man put his wand back inside his robe.

"You shouldn't let your guard down so easily," the man said smoothly, approaching him. "You never know if you're being deceived—if the person you see if really a mirage set up as bait."

Harry stared at him uncertainly as he came within two feet of him. His mind was screaming at him to disarm the man, like when he had wanted to kill Sirius in his third year, and again he hesitated. Thoughts of Sirius clouded his concentration and the voice screaming at him began to fade. A warm hand touched his shoulder and Harry looked up at him, not realizing he had put his head down in defeat.

A soft smile graced the man's features and Harry suddenly didn't feel scared anymore.

"Come now, Harry Potter you can't give up that easily. You have a war to win. You're still young though so you have plenty of time to learn. I'm sure you've had enough excitement by now. I assume you're exhausted and hungry."

Harry's eyes widened as he remembered where he saw the man. He was the man who was the bartender at The Hog's Head when he went with his friends almost a year ago to start the DA club. When Harry first saw him he thought he looked like a grumpy old man who looked familiar, but now he looked different—powerful and kind, just like Dumbledore.

"Who…?" Harry whispered, unable to finish his sentence.

"Oh forgive me, my name is Aberforth Dumbledore. I am also a spy for the Order but the only one who knows that is my brother Albus. After all, what happened to poor Kingsley could happen to any of the other Order members. If Voldemort found out I was alive and helping the Order…Well I'm sure you could see what problems that could cause," he looked down at him.

"But—"

"No time for explanations, Harry. The Dementors can still sense you. Once we get out of here I will answer any questions you have," he said.

Harry immediately closed his mouth and didn't say another word as he led him over to platform 7 and gripped his arm tightly. He touched the pillar between platforms 7 and 8 and muttered something under his breath. Harry stared up at him just before he felt a fluttery sensation in his stomach and he was pushed forward through the pillar. A few seconds later they appeared in Hogsmeade. Harry glanced around noting the dead silence. Aberforth led him to The Hog's Head. Once inside he closed and sealed the door with a charm before gesturing towards a seat.

"Now then, before I send you off on your way with the portkey Dumbledore gave me, what would you like to know?"

"Um…well, if you don't mind Sir—"

"Please call me Aberforth, Harry. I'm not your Headmaster after all," he smiled.

"Well, how come I've never met you before?"

He smiled kindly as he leaned back in his seat, summoning butterbeers for the both of them.

"It is as I mentioned before. Lord Voldemort doesn't know I exist right now. He thinks I died during the first war. In fact, no one but Dumbledore knows I'm alive. I couldn't very well show up at your school when I'm presumed dead."

"Wouldn't people recognize you since you work here?"

"Ah, so you did notice me here?" he smiled. "Then you know I'm the same person that is the bartender here even when I had a disguise on the day you saw me. You are an exceptional student, Harry, just like Dumbledore told me," he stated sincerely, the familiar twinkle lighting his eyes.

Harry's eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean by disguise?"

"Well sometimes when I'm out of this pub I have no beard or a dreadfully long one like my brother. Sometimes I have gray hair and sometimes I have brown hair. Do you understand?"

Images of Tonks changing her appearance came to mind. Aberforth suddenly flickered and Harry had to blink to make sure he hadn't imagined it. Surely he had. It was almost like he had…faded for a split second.

"Is everything alright, Harry?" the elderly man gazed at him curiously.

Harry blinked and ignored the question. "You have the same ability as Tonks?"

Aberforth smiled, "Indeed, only I daresay she is only half metamorphic. I on the other hand am fully one and have learned to completely master it. It's the only thing I've ever been good at, unlike my brother who has mastered in everything he tried."

"What is that ability?" Harry asked curiously.

"A metamorphmagus is someone who has the ability to change their appearance of course. The ability is very rare nowadays I'm afraid," he answered.

"If you don't mind me asking, what's the full power?"

"Ah, it's the ability to transfigure yourself into any human being you want. Most metamorphmagus wizards and witches can only transfigure into people they've met, but I have a very rare gift of being able to turn into anyone I imagine."

Harry stared at him in awe. "So…is that how you spy for the Order?"

"Indeed. They think I'm a new member—a Death Eater who is Dolohov's son."

"But…wouldn't Dolohov…"

He chuckled, "Know that I wasn't his twenty something year old son? Sure, if he wasn't placed under a mind spell. Without Lord Voldemort knowing it we captured Dolohov and managed to get a little bit of information out of him, but not much. Voldemort is very good with keeping his information protected. However, Dumbledore placed a powerful mind spell on him so that he would think I was his son. Well, stepson technically. Everyone believes I'm the son of his second wife, but anyway, I don't need to bore you with technicalities."

Harry hesitated, after taking a sip of his butterbeer, and glanced up at him. "How does one become a metamorphmagus?"

Aberforth blinked at him curiously then smiled. "My boy, anyone can become one if they truly desire. Look what Lord Voldemort became because he desired so much dark power. It's in us all innately, though it's easier to access the ability if it's passed through the family genes, but it's not impossible for just anyone to learn it, or anything for that matter. Most witches and wizards nowadays rely solely on their wands and wands alone. They don't remember the power that comes from within. After all, it's not really the wand that makes you a wizard it's the gifts you are born with."

Harry nodded thankfully and took one last swig of his butterbeer.

"Come now, I suppose it's time for you to get going. And Harry," he said, his expression darkening. "You must keep in mind one thing. That this conversation we had isn't real in the sense that it's actually happening, but yet what I say is the truth. It won't make sense to you now, but know that there are more dangers to what is going on than you can imagine so far. Now…here's your portkey," he said holding a jade coin out to him. "Take good care of it—it's a family heirloom."

Harry nodded, still baffled by his words. "Thanks for saving my life."

He smiled in return, "You don't need to thank me, Harry. What you've suffered through for everyone else is enough. I'll be seeing you again…in the near future."

With that he dropped the coin into Harry's hand. Before he knew it, without even the familiar tug behind his nasal, he was back at the house he wished he'd never see again. Harry's eyes nearly started to water as he saw the sign: _12 Grimmauld Place_. The coin had mystiously vanished, but Harry took no notice as he walked unsteadily to the door. It was almost as if he thought it was a mirage. He reached out to touch the doorknob and stopped centimeters away. It was like he could sense it. He turned it, feeling his heart racing and pushed it open.

The inside was just how he remembered it from the last time he was there. The memory of Sirius was so much stronger now that it overwhelmed him. For several minutes he couldn't move and stood staring at the room. Wiping at his eyes, he made his way upstairs. He assumed if anyone was here most of them would be in the meeting room, but he was hoping his friends would be upstairs. He walked across the creaky floorboards stopping when he thought he heard whispering. He realized it must've been late so perhaps everyone was asleep. It felt like his walking had slowed greatly as he neared the room he and Ron shared the last time. Harry sucked in a deep breath and cracked the door open.

The room was dark proving that either no one was there or they were asleep. Harry stepped inside quietly, blinking in the dark to see if he could make out an outline in the bed. Suddenly the hairs on the back of his neck lifted.

"Hi Harry." Ron said.

Harry swiveled around, blinking through the darkness. A figure shrouded in shadow was standing before him and it sounded like Ron. How come he didn't at all sound surprised to see that his best friend had come back from the grave?

The room was suddenly illuminated with brightness and Harry lifted a hand to shield his eyes. Ron was standing right in front of him and soon Fred, George, Hermione and Ginny stepped into the room.

"Hi guys," Harry said awkwardly.

Hermione gazed at him and then turned to Ginny. "We should probably go downstairs and eat."

All their eyes locked onto Harry who was standing rigidly in front of them. Why weren't they jumping with joy?

"It's time for dinner!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed as she walked by. "Oh hello Harry, do join us for dinner."

Harry nodded silently, unsure of what to do. Even Mrs. Weasley didn't seem surprised to see him. Did they not get the paper? Had they not heard about the Dursleys' house? Fred glanced over at Harry and gestured for him to follow. Silently, Harry followed them down the stairs into the dining area.

The table was full of the delicious meal Mrs. Weasley had cooked. It was the exact feast she had made during Harry's fifth year when he had first stepped foot inside Sirius' old house. Strangely, no one really seemed to pay him any heed. It was almost like he hadn't disappeared off the face of the earth. Perhaps he shouldn't have been so egotistical to think that they'd cry or hug him to death or anything, but the papers had said he had died, so why didn't any of them seem ecstatic to see him? It was all too…normal. It was just like he had been with them all along or something.

The door opened and Dumbledore entered followed by a small recognizable group.

"Dumbledore," Molly smiled. "Please eat."

"There's no need," Dumbledore said calmly. His head turned until his eyes landed on Harry. He smiled—the familiar twinkle in his eye. "Welcome back Harry."

He said it as if he had expected him back around that time. Mr. Weasley's eyes drifted over to him, not looking surprised either.

"Hello Harry."

"Er, hi," Harry answered.

"Alright eat up," Molly said.

All of them sat at the table, except for Dumbledore who just stood there watching. Mad-Eye Moody was there too, but they remained oddly quiet. Now and again Fred and George exchanged discussions and Harry overheard one about their Extendable Ears.

"Wait, but you already made those, I thought," Harry interrupted.

The twins glanced in his direction, but neither one of them responded. As Harry put the tasteless food in his mouth, he remembered the first time he had entered the house. Sirius had been full of energy but it pained him too much to think about his Godfather. It was strangely quiet and the conversations he overheard from his friends were bits and pieces.

"Harry, remember you have that hearing tomorrow and we must make your hair look nice," Molly said suddenly.

He nearly dropped his fork. Had she just mentioned the hearing—the same one from his fifth year? That couldn't have been right.

"Wha-?" Harry began but was interrupted.

"It's time for bed now kids. It's been an incredibly long day and after having such a late dinner you're probably exhausted," she said, patting Harry's arm as he passed her. "Keep your doors shut tight and go straight to sleep. You hear me Fred, George?"

"Yes mum," George sighed.

"We hear you," Fred said.

Harry followed them up the stairs and Ginny, Hermione and Ron followed him. They went to their respective rooms to go to sleep and not a word was passed to him. Although he was finally back where he wanted to be—in the wizard world and with his friends—it didn't seem like things were looking up much, except for the fact that there weren't Dementors roaming close by ready to suck out his soul. Still…something felt weird. The food he had eaten didn't seem to fill him up like it normally did. Sighing heavily, Harry climbed into bed knowing full well he wouldn't sleep much that night, not with everything that happened and being in the house that still held too many memories of Sirius. Still, he took off his glasses and set them aside.

_Goodnight Sirius. _

Harry's eyes closed and he allowed his body to relax even if it was for a short while. Hopefully by the time morning came he'd have a little more energy to deal with all that was going on.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_


	7. Mind Trap Illusion

**Metamorphosis**

**Chapter 6: Mind-Trap Illusion**

Harry woke several times during the night with a sharp pain coming from his scar. He wasn't sure what it was but it made it nearly impossible to sleep. Sighing heavily, he forced himself out of bed around five a.m. As he gazed at the bed that Ron slept in, he noticed the red-head wasn't there. Thinking that Ron went to go get a drink or something, Harry trudged out of the room and down the stairs toward the kitchen. The house was incredibly silent for having so many occupants, even though they were all asleep.

The stairs didn't even make their usual creak. And what was weird was that for having such a large feast, he was suddenly starving again. The kitchen was empty when he entered it so he just filled a glass of water and stood there. As he drank he looked around, noticing that the walls looked extremely dull. He knew they needed to be repainted, but he had never noticed the color was off before. It was possible that he had been too exhausted the night before and had just not really spent time thinking about anything. He must've been overly tired since it felt like it had been longer than a few hours since he went to bed; he felt like it had been a day or so and he wasn't sure why.

Putting the glass in the sink, he turned around to head back and jumped as he saw Ron standing before him.

"Harry, what are you doing down here?" he asked casually.

He shrugged. "Just getting a glass of water. I can't sleep…It feels like the morning will never come," he answered.

"That's ridiculous," Ron snorted. "Come on, let's go to bed."

Harry followed his friend toward the stairs then stopped. "Uh, Ron. I really can't get to sleep so I think I'm going to step outside for a bit."

"ARE YOU CRAZY!" Ron shouted, causing Harry to jerk from being startled.

Harry looked around, knowing he must've woken somebody up. "What's the matter, Ron? And stop shouting!" Harry whispered.

"You can't go outside! You _have_ to stay inside! It's too dangerous" Ron exclaimed, coming toward him.

"I know, but it's not like I'm going far," Harry said. "Just a walk around."

"A walk around! Do you realize what you could do just by walking around? You could lead some Death Eaters our way, or worse, Voldemort!" he shouted.

Harry blinked, wondering when Ron had gotten the courage to say his name. "Really, Ron, you're exaggerating."

"You could put all of us in danger, Harry! Do you really want that!" he snapped suddenly.

The left part of Ron's face seemed somewhat transparent for just a split second. It was almost like the same flickering with Aberforth. Perhaps it hadn't been his imagination. Now Harry was feeling fear rise in his chest—something was definitely off. Ron lashed out and gripped his shoulder roughly.

"Ouch, Ron, cut that out!" Harry glared, pushing his hand away.

"What's going on here?"

Harry turned to see Mrs. Weasley with her arms crossed and staring at them grimly.

"Harry wants to go outside, mum!" Ron exclaimed desperately.

All of a sudden, Mrs. Weasley's gaze landed on him and hardened. Harry felt his stomach flip in response and she pointed a finger at him. "Harry James Potter you will do no such thing!" she snapped. "It's too dangerous. One foot outside could ruin everything! You heard what Dumbledore said. He told you to remain inside this house because Voldemort would be able to sense you."

"Yeah, but—"

"But nothing! You will march right back upstairs and go to bed!" she exclaimed, pointing toward the stairs.

"Mrs. Weasley," Harry pleaded. "What if someone comes with me? Like Mr. Weasley?"

"Absolutely not! That won't change the fact that you're going outside."

Harry gapped at her then at Ron. Both of them were being unreasonable. Just yesterday they seemed thrilled to see him and now they were acting as though he was about to commit a crime. He knew Voldemort wouldn't be able to track them down that fast. And he had to get out; he already felt like he had been cooped inside there for days.

"Look, let me talk to Dumbledore!" Harry demanded.

"What's the matter?"

Harry whirled his head to the left to see Mr. Weasley stepping forward giving him the same expression Mrs. Weasley gave him moments ago.

"Mr. Weasley, I just want to step out for a couple minutes for some fresh air," Harry pleaded with him.

"No! It's way too dangerous, Harry! You could get killed!"

"Killed? I just want some fresh air and you can come with me!" he retorted in frustration.

Mr. Weasley stepped forward and shook his head. "Harry, please, stop looking for trouble. Voldemort is out there growing stronger and—"

"And you know he can't possibly track us by stepping outside," Harry retorted angrily. "If that were true he would've attacked me here long ago."

"Dumbledore's orders are to remain inside," Mr. Weasley said sternly.

"But…for how long? I already feel claustrophobic!" Harry began raising his voice, looking at all three of them in disbelief. Yesterday everything seemed perfect and back to normal and now they were all pointing fingers at him as if he were some criminal trying to escape.

"As long as it takes to keep you safe. Don't you see we're protecting you? Out there it's a dangerous death-hole," Mrs. Weasley spoke up as Ron nodded beside her.

Feeling his anger build, Harry clenched his fists. "It's not like I'm going to go looking for Voldemort! And besides, I can't just sit around here doing nothing while Voldemort is killing people out there and probably planning something disastrous."

"What's going on?"

Hermione appeared at the bottom of the stairs with Ginny and the two of them looked just as concerned and grim as the others.

"Harry's shouting because he wants to go outside and endanger us all," Ron spat angrily.

"That's not it!" Harry quipped with frustration, glaring at him. "You know I wouldn't put you guys in danger."

"Then come upstairs and go back to bed!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed.

Harry opened his mouth, but nothing came out because his scar suddenly began searing with pain. He winced and took a wobbly step backward. His scar hadn't been aching before or even when he was in the muggle world. Something was wrong; there was something that he felt deep down was out of place, but he couldn't think with all of them staring at him.

"Harry, come upstairs," Mr. Weasley said more calmly, reaching out toward him. "You just need some rest."

"I can't sleep!" Harry argued.

"Then read a book," Hermione suggested.

Glaring, Harry shook his head, feeling so frustrated and angry at this point. Why wouldn't they let him step outside? It wasn't that dangerous.

"How about opening a window?" he asked, glancing at them.

"No," Mrs. Weasley shook her head. "It's too dangerous."

Harry's eyes narrowed. Something was definitely not right. Opening a window shouldn't have been a problem at all. In fact, Mrs. Weasley was acting severely paranoid, as was Mr. Weasley, who was usually the more lenient one. All of a sudden, Harry's eyes took them all in.

"Wait…why are you all still wearing your clothes?" he asked aloud.

"What?" Ron sputtered. "Harry, stop changing the subject. Come on!"

Harry took a couple steps back, glancing at the door. His scar was now throbbing painfully and he knew what that meant. The feeling was the same when he was around strong dark magic. That meant that something was wrong in that house. He didn't know what or why, but he suddenly felt like he had to get out of there.

"How about we all go get some nice breakfast?" Mrs. Weasley forced a smile as all the others nodded.

"At five in the morning?" Harry exclaimed.

"Harry, that's enough! You're going upstairs now," Mr. Weasley said, grabbing his arm tightly.

Whipping around, Harry dodged out of the grasp and pointed his wand at the door. "Alahomora!" he shouted.

"HARRY DON'T!" Mrs. Weasley screamed as they all began to approach him.

The door swung open suddenly and a gust of wind blew him off his feet. A rough hand grabbed him along with some more and soon Harry was struggling against them all.

"Let me go!" Harry shouted, trying to get them off him.

"No, Harry! You must come upstairs!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Please Harry," Ginny pleaded, holding onto him with enormous strength.

"LET ME GO!" Harry screamed, whipping out his wand and throwing them back by blasting them away.

He ran toward the door when suddenly Mr. Weasley jumped out in front of him to block his way.

"You don't want to do that, Harry! Only death is out there!" Mr. Weasley shouted.

"I'm used to it!" Harry shouted, before using his wand to throw him aside.

He quickly approached the door but a hand grabbed his ankle. Harry jerked and glanced down to see Ron trying to drag him back in. He was now convinced this had to be some sort of nightmare of something, but it felt so real and he couldn't seem to wake up. Roughly shaking him off, Harry wasted no time in hurling himself through the door. Unfortunately, once he was through he realized his feet didn't have anything to stand on. He screamed, startled, and felt himself free-falling all and soon it all turned black.

**XXXXX**

_At Hogwarts in the Gryffindor Common Room._

The fireplace was burning with low flames, heating the sitting room. Two occupants in the room where seated by it with a mug of hot chocolate to soothe their nerves. The red-head was swirling his around, watching as the liquid changed colors. He wasn't really watching it, being since he was lost in thought. It was already close to eleven p.m. and he still wasn't tired. Sighing for the umpteenth time, he inclined his head toward the brown-haired girl seated on the couch reading a book.

"Hermione? Are you really reading that boring _History of the Flesh-Eating Plants_ book?"

Letting it slip from her lap, Hermione sighed irritably. "Well, I was!" she said hotly, before her frustrated expression morphed into exhaustion. "I'm sorry, Ron. I haven't gotten much sleep lately."

Ron nodded glumly. "Me either. Ginny's probably fast asleep back at home. I mean…I'm glad Dumbledore let us stay here, but it's just…lonely."

He heard Hermione sniffle and he turned to catch her rubbing her eyes. "I'm fine," she whispered, setting the book down. "How much longer do you think the meeting will last?"

"Don't know. They've been meeting for days off and on now," Ron said softly. "My dad won't tell me anything except that Dumbledore's working with the Ministry and Order members to counter V-Vold…you-know-who's attack. But you would think that we would've heard something by now."

Hermione bit her lip and nodded, as her eyes dimmed. "I still can't believe my plan didn't work. I thought I'd be able to reach him, but…it didn't even go through. The ministry must have put up an extra protection. No wonder it seemed too easy."

"Yeah, I didn't expect the alarm to go off like that. I'm glad we didn't get in trouble," Ron murmured, slipping down further into the chair. "It was a great plan, Hermione. It really was."

"Those stupid Death Eaters!" she exclaimed shakily. "They're the reason it didn't work! Whatever they did completely sealed off the barricade; no amount of magic from our side can open it."

"What about from Harry's side in the muggle world?" Ron asked.

Hermione stopped for a second then shook her head. "There's no way Harry would have enough power to get himself back here. He's trapped there forever!" she sobbed, cupping her hands over her face.

Ron sat up awkwardly, not knowing how to comfort her. "Look, we can't give up on him. He's survived near-deaths so many times. I'm sure he's not dead. He's probably just hiding out and biding his time until Dumbledore figures out a way around the barricade."

"That'll take forever! It's already been five days since Fudge brought that…that article about Harry being dead and the Dursley's house being destroyed!" she shouted, as she blinked tears away and rubbed her face. "And that stupid Skeeter woman! How dare she come in and demand to interview Harry when he's out there possibly dead!"

"She did have some plausible information though," Ron spoke up softly, earning a glare from her. "I mean, that's just what my dad said. Something about a Black Hag."

Hermione sat up straight in surprise before her eyes dimmed. "That's just a myth. The Black Hag was a witch who delved into the dark arts too much and cursed the amulet she wore. The old legend book states that she was able to suck powers from anyone, but her necklace was never found, nor was she after she apparently killed herself accidentally by messing too deep into dark magic."

"Yeah, but maybe that means the Dark Lord is trying to find that necklace."

"Perhaps or maybe it's just a ploy of hers to get that interview," Hermione glared at the fireplace. "Either way it doesn't matter. Harry's still trapped there with those Dementors and probably tons of traps that the Death Eaters set for him. There's nothing we can do to help him!"

Ron's shoulders slumped, knowing she was right. "Maybe we can't right now, but we can still help Dumbledore as much as we can. Hopefully he's come up with a plan by now."

"Yeah, well, working with those Ministry members who follow Fudge is kind of pointless. They don't want to send out a warning to everybody warning them of Voldemort's possible attack or that he's still at large because they say they don't want to cause panic, but really they also don't want people to start running away. I bet the Ministry is going to try and force every semi skilled wizard out there to help fight against Voldemort's army," Hermione said, leaning back against the cushions. "And you know that will definitely cause panic. At least if they're told ahead of time they have some time to escape and go into hiding."

"Yeah, well…if only Fudge was replaced. He obviously thinks he knows more about how to solve problems with You-Know-Who than Dumbledore, but I'd rather kill myself than let Fudge make the final plans," Ron said honestly.

Hermione nodded and they both fell into silence. Finally, Hermione turned to him slowly. "Your brother Charlie is still in Romania, right?"

"Yeah, why?" Ron turned to face her.

"Well…the Death Eaters are all around here and in London and probably where Hogsmeade is as well. So Romania is safer. You and your family could go there."

"I guess," Ron shrugged. "But really the safest place is Hogwarts."

"Yes, maybe, but we can't fit everyone in here. Besides, it will only remain safe until Voldemort figures out how to get around the protections. I'm sure he's been working on it for years. After all, he did go to this school once. He'll find a weakness sooner or later," Hermione countered with a grim look.

"So what you're saying is the only choice is to die fighting, right?" Ron grumbled.

"Yeah…," she trailed off, her eyes dimming. "That's what Harry's been doing all these years. And we're all trained wizards and witches here. I'm sure the number of magical folk not on the Dark Lord's side is greater than his."

"You're not counting the Dementors and dark creatures working for him," Ron reminded her darkly.

"Well what about the giants. Hagrid got them on our side, remember? And I'm sure he's trying to get others like the centaurs and maybe get some dragons that they can let loose on the Death Eaters. Although…the dragons would probably attack everybody," Hermione sighed worriedly. "I guess we'll just have to see when the time comes. For now, I'm going to go upstairs and try to get some sleep."

Ron nodded and watched as she got up and headed toward the girls' dorm. "Goodnight," he said.

Pausing for a second, Hermione glanced over her shoulder at him and nodded with a forced smile. "Goodnight."

Then she disappeared up the stairs and left Ron alone to mull in his thoughts. Sighing heavily, Ron decided perhaps he should try and get some sleep. There was no use in just sitting around moping over everything.

"Harry, wherever you are, I hope you're alright," he whispered aloud as he climbed up the stairs to the boys' dorm.

**XXXXX**

The first thing he realized when he came to was that there was a throbbing pain in his arm. Groaning, Harry blinked rapidly and tried to gain his focus back. His head ached and his body felt cold and damp. Very slowly, he picked himself up and rubbed his arm. Jerking his head down, he realized his cold hands were coming into contact with bare skin. Where was his shirt? When his vision finally cleared, he lifted himself onto wobbly legs and blinked, staring out ahead of him.

It was dark that much he was certain of, but he didn't know where he was. Looking around, he suddenly realized he was in an alley way, right by the shop he had just come from. His memory was suddenly jogged when he remembered selling an item to get muggle money and then…then he had gotten that strange letter and met Dumbledore's brother then somehow got to his friends, but…something went wrong and now…now he was back in the muggle world. Or perhaps he had never left.

Turning all around, he noticed that he smelled pretty bad. The reason for it was because he had been lying in a heap of garbage in the alley way with no shirt on. It had apparently rained at some point because his pants and hair were still soaked. He was so utterly confused; what day was it? What time was it? What had happened?

Hearing some jangling, he inclined his head around and saw a man not far from him at the edge of the alley way sitting with grungy clothes and warming by a small fire lit in the garbage can. Harry figured he must've been homeless. Had he noticed him lying there? Harry stood up and began to approach him cautiously, reaching inside his pants for his wand just in case.

_What the—!_

His wand was missing! That was definitely not a good sign. He couldn't be without his wand while he was trapped in the muggle world; that was certain death. Feeling a bit nervous, he continued approaching the man, who was preoccupied with sticking some sort of goop onto a rusty plate and he noticed something very unsettling. The man was using his shirt as a sort of scarf that was hanging around his neck. Harry licked his dry lips, trying to convince his self that this man wasn't as bad as a Death Eater.

"Excuse me?" he said quietly.

The man didn't seem to hear him as he coughed violently before heating up the contents on the rusty plate. Harry shivered and wrapped his arms around his bare chest.

"Excuse me?" he said louder.

The man grunted and turned to stare at him. He squinted and then raised both eyebrows. "Oh, so you're alive," he smiled with yellow teeth. "I thought you was dead so I left yous there. Oh, and I borrowed this," he said, grabbing the shirt from around his neck. Grinning, the man handed it over and Harry nodded with thanks as he slipped it back on.

"You wouldn't happen to have taken my wa—the stick that was in my pocket, would you?"

"Oh eh…let me think," he said, squinting again. "Ah yeah, I think I used it to cook me hot dogs," he said, fishing around in his grungy backpack. "Ah, here it is."

He took out the wand and Harry sighed with relief, reaching out for it. The man, however, pulled his hand back and Harry immediately tensed. Those disgusting yellow teeth grinned at him again and the man nodded to him.

"How much are you going to give me?" he asked.

"Give you?" Harry asked. Then he reached into his pockets, making sure the man didn't steal his money. Thankfully, he had been smart enough to shrink the money down with his wand so it was easier to walk with.

"I'll need that first," he said, gesturing to it.

"I don't think so," he said, waving the wand around. Harry watched as a spark came out and the man blinked, having seen it out of the corner of his eye.

"Please. I'll pay you a good fifty dollars for it," Harry insisted, reaching into his pocket. "I promise I won't run. Here, I'll step this close to you so you can grab me if I try."

"With what? I checked your pockets?"

"I hid it in a special place just in case," Harry retorted quickly.

The man watched him get closer and finally, albeit reluctantly, he nodded and slowly handed the wand over. Harry dug in his pocket, realizing there was no way to turn his back around to use his wand otherwise the man would get suspicious. He pulled out the tiny money and the man squinted.

"There's no money!"

"Yes, there is," Harry insisted, waving his wand over it. The money turned back to its regular size and the man's mouth dropped open as he stared at the pile. Harry pulled out fifty dollars and handed it to him.

He took it while still staring at the pile of money Harry then shrunk and shoved into his pocket. "Would you know what day it is?"

The man didn't look away from the wand as he nodded. "Eh, sure…it's Tuesday."

"Tuesday? But…but that means I've been out for three days. How is that possible?" Harry asked aloud, mostly to himself since the man was busy ogling his wand.

"I'll let yous keep your fifty dollars if you let me keep that," he said, pointing at the wand.

"I'm sorry, but I need this. Besides, you wouldn't be able to work the magic anyway," Harry said.

"Oh really?" he grunted. "Well then, give me all your money."

"What?" Harry asked incredulously.

"I just gave up a real penny there so I deserve alls that money yous got," he answered, holding out his hand.

Harry tensed but an idea struck him. Nodding, Harry stepped forward and the man grinned. Suddenly, he whipped out his wand and pointed it at the man's forehead.

"Obliviate!" he exclaimed.

A jet of light erupted from the wand and hit the man square in the head before he had a chance to utter a word. Harry quickly put his wand back in his pocket as the man blinked and then stared at him.

"Hey…aren't you that kid that was lyin' dead over there?" he pointed, squinting.

"Er, nope. I was just passing by," Harry lied, walking away as quickly as he could without bringing attention to himself.

Sighing with relief as he exited the alley way, he made his way back toward a restaurant he knew stayed open until late in the night. He could go where there were some people, pay for a small meal, and sit down and think about what he had just found out. After all, his stomach was growling loudly to tell him that it hadn't had anything in a long while. He was thankful when he found it was only eleven at night so the restaurant was open until two a.m. He was seated immediately and ordered a burger with French fries and a cola to settle the hunger that was aching inside him. As he sat eating mechanically, he thought about what had happened. He had been out for three days since he had gone to Mrs. Figg's and had the Dementor try to attack him there. The Dementors had three days to find him, but why didn't they?

There was no doubt in his mind that everything he had seen had been an illusion—dark magic. That dream was definitely no dream and he even had the bruise on his arm to prove it. He must've hit one of the Death Eater's traps when he was walking out of the shop where he had exchanged his item for money. The Death Eater's most likely set up a mind-illusion curse—a curse that used a person's memories and trapped them in their own mind. If he had stayed too long, it would've consumed his soul completely and he would be dead. That was probably why his scar kept acting up; it was trying to warn him that his time was almost up. And that explained why his friends were acting so strange and how they flickered occasionally. Whatever Death Eater had set it up didn't do a very good job; if he had done it correctly Harry wouldn't have even been able to tell his friends weren't really his friends and that the food didn't fill him up.

Clenching his fists in anger, Harry realized he didn't just have to worry about the Dementors, but also whatever traps the Death Eaters left behind. And what would happen if he couldn't get out of the muggle world? Every Dementor was out there looking for him and there was no way he'd know just how many traps had been set just to kill him. It was definitely apparent it had been an illusion; that was why he was out for three days in a coma-like state, which was why the homeless man thought he had died.

_If that whole thing was an illusion: getting the letter and going back to Sirius' then was the meeting with Aberforth part of that? He said something about seeing me in the future and that what he was telling me was true but not real. Did I have a premonition while inside of the mind curse? I'll have to figure that out later…right now there are more important things to do. Still…I'm lucky to have gotten out of that when I did or I would be lying dead in that alley way. _

"Would you like a refill young man?" a waitress came up to him smiling.

Harry nodded. "Thanks," he said, as she smiled again and took away his cola to get him a fresh glass.

He had finished the burger already and was concentrating on his fries. He didn't want to buy too much because he needed the money; he wasn't sure how long he'd have to hide out there but he definitely didn't want to get stuck on the streets. He could go back to Mrs. Figgs' but he had to be careful in case the Dementor came back with reinforcements. Harry glanced up as the waitress set the cola down.

"Is there anything else?"

"Actually, could I have some chocolate ice cream," Harry answered. "Oh, and also a burger to go please."

"Sure thing," she smiled, walking away.

He sighed heavily, wondering how he could get himself out of his current predicament. How could he escape? The Dementors seemed to be able to move around anywhere in the muggle world, but they couldn't leave either apparently or they would've tried. Still…how was it that the Death Eaters would be able to know that he was dead, unless…

_Unless they can somehow move back and forth through the worlds._ _I'm certain Voldemort knows a way to get around the barrier; after all it is because of him it was placed. That must be it! _

"Here you are," the waitress said as she handed him his food. "And I assumed that was all so here's your check."

"Thanks," Harry smiled gratefully and she nodded and turned back around.

He finished off his fries and began on his ice cream, finishing his musings.

_That means that there is a way to get out of here, but only the Death Eaters are aware of that. If there's a way I can trick them into thinking I'm…I'm a Death Eater or something, I could get through! But I can't make a Polyjuice potion…So what could I do? _

Thinking hard, Harry ran options through his head. The only way he could possibly fool a Death Eater into thinking he was one of them was to lure one Death Eater out in the open and make sure he dies and then somehow disguise himself as the Death Eater…

Harry sat up straight in his chair, nearly choking. Tonks was a…what had Hermione called it? A metamorphmagus, which mean she could change her appearance at will. It was rare and very difficult, but if he somehow learned how to do it, it just might work. He could lure a Death Eater out in the open by shooting up red sparks. And he could make sure it's at the same time that he's being chased by a Dementor. If he timed it right, he could confuse the Dementor and stun the Death Eater. The Dementor, being hungry for Harry, would go for the easiest prey.

After all, even when the Dementors were sent to kill Sirius back in his third year, they almost killed him and others. As long as they could feed they wouldn't care who they fed on. So if the Dementor killed the Death Eater, Harry could then scare it away with a Patronus charm and then he could metamorphosize into the Death Eater. And then he could transfigure the Death Eater to look like him with a simple transfiguration charm. It worked on inanimate objects, but if the guy was dead then it would probably have the same effect! That way, he could summon other Death Eaters claiming Harry Potter was dead and then they would probably take him right to Voldemort. And that way the Death Eaters would really think he was dead.

The only problem with the plan was learning how to do such a complex ability. It wouldn't be easy and there was no telling what complications could arise if he didn't do it correctly. Mrs. Figg had some magical books back at her house; perhaps there was one about a metamorphmagus. If so, he'd have to try and learn as much as he could about it. If he was supposedly a powerful wizard, then hopefully he would learn it quickly. It was his only option. Cleaning up and taking his burger, Harry paid the check and left a tip before leaving and heading back toward Mrs. Figg's house. He kept in the shadows just to be safe and made it without any trouble. The door was locked so he had to use magic to get inside. Luckily, the house keeper wasn't there anymore and hopefully she wouldn't be coming back anytime soon. Closing and locking the door, Harry made his way up the stairs, past the meowing cats and into Mrs. Figg's room to hopefully find a book that could help him. It was now his only hope for escape.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_


	8. The Escape

**Metamorphosis**

**Chapter 7: The Escape**

Another book was thrown aside as Harry searched frantically for something useful. Even Aberforth, while he was in the mind illusion, said something about metamorphosizing. Mrs. Figg however didn't seem to have any book on it. Harry threw the last book down angrily and one of the cats hissed and scampered away. The bed creaked as he slumped down onto it seemingly defeated.

The Death Eaters had him trapped; they had set up traps and hexes all around meaning to catch and kill him (and probably other clueless muggles that ran into them) and there were Dementors lurking around for his soul. Sure, if a muggle caught sight of them they'd be killed, but the Dementors had orders to search for him so they wouldn't care so much for any other soul except his. No doubt the Dementors would be back any day to Mrs. Figg's to see if he was still hiding there.

"What am I going to do? How will I alert Dumbledore now? Voldemort's probably already planning the attack on Hogwarts…it's only a matter of days. Maybe one or two even. I'll never make it in time. Even if I do find a way out eventually, if I survive that long, I'll go back to the wizard world and find all my friends dead and Hogwarts destroyed. I couldn't bear that, but I know that's what will happen if I can't warn them."

Choking on a distressed sigh, he wiped as his eyes so as not to let any tears fall. He then covered his face with his hands and sat like that for a few minutes. Finally, he decided to at least put the books back on the shelves. After he placed them all back sloppily, he stared around the room. The frustration inside of him was building so high; he felt completely helpless. What was he going to do to bide his time? He couldn't use magic to save his self and he couldn't reach his friends. He was like a mouse trapped in a cage about to be fed to a hungry snake.

Biting his lip, he realized that perhaps this time the famous Harry Potter couldn't come to the rescue—that Voldemort would soon win and take over. And then once Voldemort took over the wizard world, if Harry was still alive and hiding in the muggle world, Voldemort would come searching for him while destroying all muggles. Wanting desperately to distract his self, Harry got up and started pacing. That didn't help and in fact increased his anger. The more he felt restless the more frustrated he became. Lashing out, Harry punched the wall in front of him angrily. It helped just a little, but he still felt like he would be the cause of his friends' deaths if he didn't get there in time and that made him punch the wall again a bit higher.

To his surprise, the wall suddenly flung open and knocked him over. Harry fell to the floor and his glasses slipped down his nose. Pushing them back up, he scrambled to his feet and stared at the small entry way of the secret door. His hopes rose and he wasted no time. He slipped inside and saw that there was a combination in front of him. He'd have to use magic, which eventually the Dementors would sniff out, but hopefully it would be worth the risk. He had nothing else to lose.

Using an advanced charm, he managed to break the lock. Upon opening it, he saw that Mrs. Figg kept most of the items from the wizard world in the secret room. It was understandable since she lived in the muggle world and if anyone saw random potions and books about magic they'd certainly report her. The other books in her room were mostly muggle books and a few squib books, but she could just tell them it was fictional. The books and potions in front of him, however, were definitely too suspicious to keep in plain sight of muggles. He searched through the potions, finding a temporary vision-healing one. He slipped it into his pocket, in case he had to get rid of his glasses.

He sifted through the books and couldn't find one on being a metamorphmagus. He was slightly disappointed again, thinking that he'd now get caught by the Dementors without anything, until he came across a peculiar book: _The Everything-You-Want-To-Know Magical Guide. _Harry pursed his lips and opened it. All the pages were blank, reminding him of Tom Riddle's diary. He tried picking up a pen and using it but it didn't write on any of the pages. Tapping his fingers impatiently, he decided to try something else.

He closed his eyes and gripped the book tightly. "I want to know how to be a metamorphmagus."

His eyes opened and the book suddenly began changing. The title switched to: _Secrets of metamorphosizing _and the pages suddenly filled with texts. Harry's heart swelled with pride and hope. Quickly, he skimmed through the pages taking in as much information as he could without having to read every detail. The gist of it was that those born as metamorphmagi didn't necessarily inherit the traits from their parents. Sometimes they could inherit it from grandparents or even ancestors. It didn't say that just anyone could do it, however and Harry knew so little about his family. Perhaps someone in his family could do it, but the only way he'd know is if he tried.

From what the book instructed, it was all about having a strong mind. Most metamorphmagi imagined what they wanted to turn into in detail first. Unfortunately, it was something that took time and practice, which Harry didn't have. Closing his eyes, he pictured Tonks' face in his mind. After a minute he summoned a mirror and looked only to see his face staring back at him. It definitely wasn't as easy as it sounded. A sudden hissing nearly made him drop the book. Several cats joined in nearby and Harry stepped out into the room to see what was going on. The book almost slipped out of his hands when he saw a Dementor floating by the bed where he had been moments earlier. The Dementor swirled around and caught sight of him. Harry jumped back into the secret room as it came pelting toward him and slammed the wall shut.

"Lumos!" Harry whispered anxiously.

The Dementor let out a loud, inhuman hiss of fury. The wall began to shudder and Harry realized the Dementor could probably use its inhuman sensitivity for magic to open the door. Thinking quickly, the book transfigured into _Creating Secret Doors. _He hurriedly flipped through the pages. He needed something chalky to draw with. He transfigured the pen in his pocket to a piece of chalk and hurriedly began drawing a door. The wall jiggled more and Harry saw a bony hand reaching through the wall. It was using its ability to try and slip through the magical barrier.

Harry hissed the spell and quickly grabbed several other potions before he leapt through the secret door and closed it frantically. He ran down the passage, which began to unfold before his eyes until he reached the end of the house. He jumped outside and ran for his life, diving into a bush in one of the neighbor's yards, thankfully not too close to Mrs. Figg's house. The Dementor hopefully would think he was still running away and would leave the area, but it would most likely be back with reinforcements. Changing the book back to the one about metamorphmagi, he read it hurriedly even in the dim light of the moon. Another tip was to imagine his body changing and to concentrate enough to let the magic consume him. It was vague, but he had to try.

Keeping in the shadowed bush, he imagined in detail his hands turning into Hermione's. He often saw her hands because she was constantly throwing books in his face to get him to study. He concentrated and sat in the dark for at least five minutes. He relaxed all his muscles and waited. A very subtle tingly sensation traveled through his arm and he peered at it to see that it was changing ever-so-slightly.

"I can do it…at least a little," he whispered. "But… can I do a whole body transformation?"

He would have to just wing it; there wasn't any time for practice. Now he just had to wait around and search for a Death Eater. Surely at least one would come sometime soon to check and see if his body had been found. He peered out of the bush and was relieved to find no Dementors lurking about. Carefully, he crawled out and began walking elsewhere though he kept to the shadows. Thankfully he had that sandwich with him and the magical book (not to mention a few random potions he had snatched; he'd have to look at them later).

Harry found a place nearby the pawn shop where he had fallen victim to the mind-trap. Surely the Death Eater who had placed it there would be alerted that it had been activated. At some point he was going to come back to check and make sure Harry was dead (and that it was Harry who had activated it). He sat on the side of the pawn shop hidden by a bush and waited, keeping an eye on the alley way just feet away. Time passed really slowly as he just sat there waiting. A couple times he practiced changing his appearance, but he didn't want to alert any Dementors. It was already the middle of the night and he was tired, but he knew if he fell asleep he'd miss his chance or he'd be overtaken by a Dementor. After a little over an hour, Harry was becoming impatient. He decided to quick stop at the coffee shop a few blocks down to buy some caffeine to keep him awake. Thankfully it was open until 3 a.m. so he was lucky.

On his way back to his hiding place however, Harry almost choked when he saw a black-cloaked figure peering out of the alley way. Harry quickly dove behind a building and cautiously peered out. He had to lure the Death Eater to him before he disappeared. Taking in a deep breath, Harry realized this was it. He walked into the middle of the street and began running. The Death Eater had gone back into the alley way so Harry hurried. Just as he approached the alley way he made a move to turn down it and saw the back of the Death Eater looking around the area where he had been lying in the garbage upon awakening. Harry made a loud, purposeful gasp and dropped his coffee. The Death Eater wheeled around and caught sight of him.

"Potter! You escaped my curse!" the man hissed.

Harry had never met this Death Eater before, he was sure of that but no doubt the man recognized him. Just when the Death Eater pulled out his wand, Harry took off in the opposite direction. The Death Eater began chasing him just like he had planned only…what was he to do next?

_Think Harry! There has to be some way for you to trick him! _

Harry tore down another street, knowing the Death Eater was following him. He let out another gasp and stopped rather sharply when he caught sight of a Dementor lurking about nearby. Suddenly, as if he had meant to do it all along, an idea formed in his mind. An idea so risky, but yet if it worked it would be worthwhile. Harry let out a shriek both to get the Dementor's attention and the Death Eater who was following him (so that the Death Eater would know where he ran off to). The Dementor swiveled around mid-air and Harry immediately ran in the opposite direction again. He was ready for it and nearly bumped into the Death Eater who looked startled.

"You can't escape me Potter!" he shouted, running after him.

Curses and hexes were thrown at him, but Harry managed to keep a distance in front of the man. He knew the Dementor was following in the shadows and the Death Eater seemed oblivious to why Harry had screamed.

_This has to work! It has to! Wait…even if I do manage to transform into this death eater, how will I make it look like I died? I know I want to trick the Dementor into thinking the Death Eater is me or something…Hold on! The potions—maybe there's one that can help! I've got to find a place to hide for a second. _

Harry dove around a building and ran into a park, ducking down behind one of the pine trees. Hurriedly, he took out the potions and went through each one. There was an Energy Potion, an Anti-Wrinkle potion and then a Sleeping Draught. None of them seemed to be of any use to him. What was he going to do now? He heard footsteps and peered out behind the branches to see the Death Eater searching around. The Dementor wasn't in sight, but Harry was certain it was very close by.

_Oh no, maybe this wasn't a good idea! I thought I had a great plan, but there's still a piece missing! And I…_

His thoughts suddenly stopped and he glanced down at the potions again. He stared at the Energy Potion and thought hard. There was something about it—something they had learned in class! Hitting his forehead he thought back to potions class. It was on the day that Snape wasn't there—they had a substitute, an elderly woman and they had been working on several potions that day. They hadn't made the Energy Potion, but the teacher had discussed it and then Hermione had said something to him about it. Of course he wasn't really paying attention to anything, since Hermione said a lot of random tidbits and now he really wished he had been listening intently.

_What was it she said! Damn it! Come on, Harry, think! THINK!_

He pictured Hermione staring at him on that day and tried to remember what she said. The Death Eater's footsteps were now growing closer; he had apparently decided to check the park and was shining his wand in every corner.

"Come on Potter, I know you're here! Ever since you activated my mind curse I have been biding my time to come and check to make sure it was you. I'm impressed that you managed to escape somehow, but I still have you on magical radar now thanks to that curse. Come on out!"

Harry shut his eyes and pictured that day clearly. He could see Hermione's lips moving; she was telling him something. What had she said? The professor had just stated that Energy Potions were normally used when power was low or when a person became older and Hermione had said…

His eyes snapped open as her words came back to him. She had said that Energy Potions could be used as cloning potions as well! The potions are so similar because creating a double helps in situations where more than one person is needed. And she had stated to him: "Really, Energy Potions are rarely used. People just use the potion and add a little bit of dried bugleweed and a drop of their blood in order to clone their selves. It's much more efficient and more common since the Energy Potion hardly lasts long. Really, why do they teach such pointless things without going into detail?"

He had just nodded in response to her, much like he did all the other times when she would say random facts about things. All he needed was some dried bugleweed and a drop of his blood. Yes, that was the missing piece! But where would he get bugleweed? He knew it was an herb, but…

_Hold on! I remember seeing a picture of it in a book when we were working on a potion! We used it for a Healing Potion, but it looks just like what I saw at a neighbor's house in the backyard. I think it was the house where the muggle man was killed by that Dementor…I've got to try!_

Suddenly, Harry dove from behind the tree and the Death Eater, who had been checking behind a different bush, jumped and threw a curse toward him.

"I'll kill you Potter! And then I'll take your dead corpse to my master and be handsomely rewarded!"

He ran and ran and didn't stop running. He went past the pawnshop again, toward Mrs. Figg's house, but took a detour through a couple yards. He came to the same backyard to see that caution tape had been placed around the area, by the police, where the man's body had been found. He searched frantically in the garden hoping to find the same herbs. His eyes caught sight a small dark patch of withering leaves and Harry snatched a handful. The hairs on the back of his neck rose just as he did that and without thinking he rolled out of the way. The killing curse missed him by centimeters.

"No more hiding in bushes, Potter!" the Death Eater sneered darkly with his wand raised. "You're mine now!"

"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted, not really meaning to disarm him but just to distract him.

It worked for the Death Eater jumped out of the way and Harry took off again, luring him toward the streets. He ran toward an alley way and slipped inside of it. He stopped suddenly and took out the Energy Potion. He crumbled the leaves up and forced it into the vial. He shook it a couple times then summoned a small pocket knife and sliced a small cut in his arm. He let a drop of blood fall into the vial and shook it several times.

"Now I've got you cornered," a cold voice startled him.

Harry backed away until he hit the wall, realizing it was a dead end. The Death Eater was stalking closer with his wand raised and a victorious smirk on his face.

"Everyone else is panicking because the famous Harry Potter's body hasn't been found and master will surely find out you're not dead soon. However…once I bring your body and claim I killed you myself he'll reward me beyond belief and then torture the others. I'll be his top Death Eater! And you'll be deceased, just like you should've been."

Harry put on a fearful expression and suddenly without thinking shot up red sparks into the air. The Death Eater laughed loudly in amusment.

"You think someone's going to come save you, Potter?"

"No!" Harry shot back forcefully and the Death Eater stared at him. "You really think I'm that stupid? You're the one who's stupid!" Harry suddenly launched the potion at him and it struck him in the chest, spilling all over him.

The Death Eater looked stunned and then shot his head back up. "What is this? A last trick, Potter? It's not even working!"

He was beginning to panic and thought perhaps the Death Eater was right. That was until the man began to shrink a bit.

"Oh really?" Harry countered, pointing at his body.

"What the hell! Potter, what is this!" the man shrieked.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted. The Death Eater was so stunned by the potion that he couldn't block the attack.

The man's wand shot out of his hand and Harry caught it. Picturing the Death Eater in his mind, he closed his eyes tightly. Seconds later he felt hands coil around his throat; they weren't bulky at all but Harry kept his concentration going. He concentrated on the man's face, the way he stood in front of him, his hands…everything. And slowly he felt the tingling sensation in his arms. Just like the time when Harry first dueled Voldemort in the graveyard and their wands clashed, he concentrated on the tingling sensation just like he had on the bead of light. Soon it began to spread throughout him, even as his wind pipe was squeezed shut.

"Potter what are you doing! What the…! How did you…"

Harry's eyes snapped open and he realized he was now taller than before. That wasn't what startled him the most. He was standing right in front of himself looking shocked. It took him a second to realize the potion had worked—the man had been changed into him. Taking advantage of his shock, he pulled the smaller hands off his throat.

"Now don't you see?" Harry said, his voice sounding gruff and cold.

"You think you can try to pose as me, Potter! You don't know how to escape from here!" the image of him hissed. "This was a foolish idea, Potter! And not one that can save you!"

The hairs on the back of his neck rose and Harry glanced down the alley way. "Oh yeah? I think you should turn around."

Keeping a harsh grip on Harry's arm, the man wheeled around to see a Dementor floating slowly toward them.

"It's Harry Potter! You must kill him!" Harry shouted and pointed at the man.

The man wheeled around in shock, his eyes widening in the realization that Harry had tricked him.

"No! I'm not Harry Potter, he is!" the man shouted and pointed at Harry.

The Dementor loomed closer and suddenly the man began to shake and tremble. His body shimmered for a second as he tried to apparate away but the Dementor was already sucking the happiness from him and making him weak. Harry watched stunned into silence as the Dementor gripped the man's throat.

"Help…master, no! NO! POTTER!" he screeched.

It was surreal to see his own body being held up by a Dementor while the hole for the mouth came toward his. As he watched the Dementor perform the kiss, he summoned a mirror and was shocked to see that he looked identical to the man. It had worked…but for how long? He was certain a true metamorphmagus could keep the image for however long they wanted, but Harry was new to it. He had to keep concentrating on the man's face and keep the image.

Harry watched as his body was dropped onto the floor lifelessly. The Dementor suddenly gazed at him and Harry made sure to block his mind (even though he was certain Dementors couldn't read minds).

"Good job! Master will be pleased. I must take the boy's body to him for proof. Can you take me there?"

Harry took a step forward and raised the body with his wand, bringing it toward him. The Dementor remained in its place for a few seconds and then it started drawing nearer. He was suddenly filled with fear; what if the Dementor was going to kill him anyway? He backed away even as he felt his energy being drained away. Memories were trying hard to flash into his mind as the Dementor approached within a foot. Harry saw the sullen sockets and the hole for a mouth—the hole that sucked souls from living bodies. He stared hypnotized, holding the body of the Death Eater who looked like him.

Suddenly, the Dementor raised its bony arms and its billowing black, withered robe swayed and surrounded him. Harry shut his eyes, waiting for the end. His stomach lurched and he was feeling light-headed from being so close. His mother's screams sounded loudly in his ear and he tried to push them away. He clamped his mouth shut for good measure, waiting for the Dementor to force its hole over his mouth, but it never came. Harry opened his eyes nervously and saw that he was no longer standing in the alleyway, but rather in front of the old Riddle mansion. The screaming in his head began to vanish and he turned to see the Dementor fading slowly—it was apparently going away now that its mission seemed to be complete.

His legs were still trembling, but he didn't feel so weak any more. He nearly dropped the body that was still in his arms and he glanced down to see that the potion hadn't worn off, thankfully. Once the Dementor was completely gone, Harry felt safe. He couldn't believe it had worked…he was now standing outside Voldemort's hideout and he was certain there were magical barriers to prevent its location from being found (just like when the Order had used Sirius' old house and placed up barriers). So the Dementor had understood his request after all. The challenge now was to make sure Voldemort didn't find out that this body wasn't Harry Potter's. Quickly, he took out the magical book and thought of cloning potions. Immediately the title changed to: _Brewing Cloning Potions: A Potion Master's Guide. _

Skimming through it, Harry searched for the time limit on the potion. He came to page 45 on the chapter titled: _Uses. _The paragraph read: _'Although most cloning potions are used to be in two places at once, they also help if you want to switch places with a person for a day. However, these have been banned after the first Dark Age since murders were using these to send innocent people to Azkaban and take on a new identity of their own. Thanks to the truth potion, however, the truth came out and the potion was banned. _

'_For those elderly folks out there who need a clone to do some shopping while you're waiting for a prescription of sorts, or just a clone to do things for you (though House Elves are the best idea) remember that cloning inanimate objects to look like you only allows it to last a couple hours. If you want a long-lasting potion, you'll need a live person or animal (however animals can have complications). Using a dead body (like a late husband or something) allows the potion to remain permanent because the life cells cannot fight back and change to its original appearance. But be warned—there can be side effects! Oh, and it's illegal to use dead bodies.'_

Harry's mouth was open by the time he finished it. Since the man's soul had been sucked out he was technically dead, but most times the bodies wandered around aimlessly—soulless bodies they were called. Glancing down at the fake Harry Potter, he saw that the eyes were open but the pupils were gone. The green eyes staring blankly held nothing—no emotion, no recognition, no nothing.

Voldemort would be pleased to know that Harry didn't just die, but that his soul is trapped in eternal darkness inside a Dementor and his body then would remain a lifeless zombie. No doubt Voldemort would want his body to show the world. However, because the body could walk around, was there a chance that Voldemort still had access to inside the mind? What if he saw that it wasn't Harry? No…he couldn't take that risk, which meant…he'd have to kill the body. Swallowing thickly, Harry set the body down and stared into the lifeless eyes. Never before had he used the killing curse and he didn't want to, but what choice did he have?

Harry remembered in his fifth year when Sirius died how he tried using one of the Unforgivables on Bella and it didn't work. Perhaps if he used the Death Eater's persona he could figure out how to use Unforgiveables without really becoming evil. After all…was it really murder to kill someone who was already dead? And anyway, wasn't he justified in doing this? It was self-defense after all…

_Stop thinking and just do it! You have to get inside and find out what Voldemort's up to! _

His breathing was shallow and shaky, but he pointed his wand down at the body.

"Avada Kedavra!" he said.

A green light erupted but did nothing more than cause the nose to bleed a little. Harry shut his eyes and concentrated on the Death Eater's persona. Although he didn't know how the man thought, he could get a feel of being him just from transforming (for that's what the book had said). A foreign feeling filled his stomach—an excitement, but not one that made him giddy like riding a broom; it was something different. Shivers crawled up his spine as he concentrated on the feeling. His eyes snapped open and he hissed: "_Avada Kedavra_!"

The green light that came out was much more intense. It hit the body and instantly the body stilled completely. Harry bent down a hand toward the chest and felt that there was no heart beat now. The eyes were completely lifeless now; he would no longer be a wandering body, however his soul would be forever trapped within the Dementor.

The sensation in the pit of his stomach subsided and Harry backed away slightly. He did not like the feeling at all; it was plain sick pleasure that allowed people to use Unforgiveables, but not only that but the true desire to end someone's life. That was what Harry concentrated on most and it wasn't a good feeling. At the same time, the fear of Voldemort finding out the truth had consumed him. He had, for the first time, used the killing curse on someone. He felt disgusted but he reminded himself that it had to be done; he had to save his friends and everyone else in the wizard world from Voldemort's wrath. Taking in a deep breath, Harry lifted up the body and approached the mansion. Not really knowing what to do, he knocked on the door.

Minutes later a voice answered through it.

"Who's there?" it hissed.

"It's me. And I've got the dead body of Harry Potter."

The door suddenly swung open and he recognized the Death Eater Avery, who stared at him in shock.

"Oh my…I can't believe it! You actually did it Mulciber! Here, let me—"

"I don't think so! I killed the boy so I deserve the credit! Move aside!" Harry snarled.

Avery did so reluctantly and Harry marched right past him and down the hall. He wasn't sure where he was going, but Avery kept up with him.

"Our lord is in the main room preparing for battle. He'll be so pleased! Let me escort you there!"

Avery suddenly dashed in front of him and Harry felt a wave of panic. He couldn't face Voldemort, could he? He had learned Occlumency but what if he slipped up?

_I've come this far! Hopefully just by glancing at the fake dead me, Voldemort won't even bother questioning Mulciber so he won't find out it's really me in disguise! _

"Wait here," Avery said in excitement.

He opened the door and Harry remained outside of it, holding the body close. He leaned forward curiously and listened.

"My Lord!" Avery's voice carried. "Forgive me for interrupting."

"You dare disrupt a meeting?" a cold voice responded.

Harry shivered but forced his self to relax. He couldn't let Voldemort into his mind.

"I have news for you, my Lord! Great news!" Avery exclaimed in excitement. "Mulciber has brought you Potter's body!"

There were gasps and murmurs, though Harry couldn't really make out what they were saying.

"Send him in," Voldemort's cold voice answered.

The door suddenly opened and Harry's throat constricted. He concentrated on nothing but staring down at the body as he entered. Avery closed the door behind him and Harry walked forward. At least a hundred Death Eaters were bowed all around in a circle and Voldemort was standing in the very center. As Mulciber passed by familiar faces, such as Bella, Malfoy, Dolohov and others, he saw their shocked but relieved gazes. Harry did not look Voldemort on the eye and concentrated solely on keeping his mind blocked. Once he was about ten feet away, he bowed low and kept his eyes on the ground.

"Here my Lord," Harry said gruffly, placing Harry's still body on the floor.

He kept his face and eyes downcast and more whispers sounded nearby. Soft footsteps came closer and the familiar pain in his forehead came searing back. Thankfully he kept his face hidden as he stayed in the bowing position. Voldemort stopped in front of the body. Harry's eyes moved just enough to see his long robe right next to the body. He pushed all thoughts away and left his mind blank, just staring at the floor.

"Finally," Voldemort hissed, "after all these years Harry Potter is out of my way. And now I have proof to show dear old Dumbledore."

The Death Eaters around cheered and Harry let a smile show through. The truth was that he was smiling because so far his plan was working. He wasn't about to get too cocky though for that would lead to failure.

"How did he die, Mulciber?" Voldemort's voice hissed above him. "Look at me."

Harry tried to keep himself calm. His forehead was burning and he wished that Voldemort wasn't so close. He remembered that he was supposed to have been killed at the Dursley's so telling Voldemort anything different would get him and the others killed. He raised his gaze slightly toward the familiar crimson eyes and snake-like face. He kept the smile on his face as he answered honestly.

"A Dementor had sucked out his soul and I cast the killing curse on his already lifeless body, my Lord," Harry added.

"How fitting! It's a shame I couldn't do it myself," Voldemort's lips curled into a sneer. To his relief, Voldemort turned around and backed away a bit. Then he placed a bare foot upon the lifeless chest.

The other Death Eaters laughed and Harry bowed his head again. He didn't want to risk Voldemort getting an opportunity to read his mind. Finally Voldemort distanced himself and walked away. Perhaps if Voldemort wasn't so excited about seeing his dead body, he would've delved into his mind more. This time it was just luck that saved him.

"You will be rewarded for finding Potter's body," Voldemort hissed toward him.

"Thank you, my Lord," Harry murmured quietly, bowing his head deeply.

Voldemort paused with a satisfactory smirk and summoned something in his hand. With his wand he let it drift down toward him and Harry murmured his thanks again. Voldemort then swiveled around, his cloak billowing behind him.

"We leave tomorrow night to begin the raid! Do not forget your assignments! If you fail I will leave no room for mercy!" Voldemort hissed venomously.

Some Death Eaters shivered and Harry remained staring at the ground.

"You are dismissed! And take the boy's corpse to the dungeons but make sure it's preserved. I want Dumbledore to see clearly that his pupil has fallen!"

"Yes my Lord," Harry answered instantly.

Harry kept his head bowed for a minute before he lifted the body carelessly with his wand and left the room like everyone else. Unfortunately, he didn't know how to apparate out of the room _with_ the body, so he just walked back through the door. Once he was outside he let out the breath he had been holding. He fingered the reward Voldemort had given him and wondered what it was. Although he was curious, he didn't have time to look at it. His first priority was to figure out where the dungeons were located. And he prayed that he would get the opportunity to leave secretly and head to Dumbledore to warn him. How he was going to do that, he didn't know yet. For the time being, he was just thankful he was still alive and out of the muggle world.

**XXXXX**

"Ron, stop pacing!" Hermione exclaimed.

"I can't! When are we going to be let inside, huh? I want to know if there's any news about Harry!"

A sad look crossed her features and she nodded. "We all do."

The door finally opened and Hermione jumped out of her seat. Professor McGonagall appeared and gestured for them to come inside. Many members of the Order were there, including Dumbledore and the two sat beside Remus.

"Is there any news on Harry?" Ron blurted out suddenly.

Hermione shot him a surprised look but Dumbledore just sighed heavily. "No, there hasn't been any word or sign. However, we are certain now that Harry's not dead."

"You can't be serious!" Mad-Eye Moody exclaimed.

"It is. A spy on our side has alerted me that the Death Eaters had seemed rather anxious. And he has told me that he overheard several Death Eaters talking about finding Harry's body in the muggle world and that they were concerned he wasn't dead. It seems that he didn't die when the Dursley's house was attacked, as I assumed so, however there is no doubt Voldemort's servants are trying everything to make sure he does die."

"And there's no way to get to the muggle world?" Molly asked teary-eyed.

"No, it's completely sealed off to us at this time," Dumbledore said warily. "I have faith that Harry will pull through, even though this looks hopeless. For now, though we must continue biding our time and keeping low. Voldemort will attack the empty Beauxbaton's school thinking it's Hogwarts and the real Hogwarts here will remain in disguise. However, that will only buy us a little time. Once Voldemort realizes he's attacked the wrong school he will attack everywhere until he has found us."

Hermione paled and spoke up softly. "And what about the rest of the wizard world?"

"I convinced Fudge to send out warnings to each household. I even made sure it had been done. Thankfully people are finding their ways to underground sanctuaries. That is all we can hope for, for now. The Order will continue to meet here and keep low until the spy has reported that things look clear," Dumbledore explained gravely.

Hermione and Ron exchanged concerned looks but remained quiet. Dumbledore then stood up in front of them all.

"These days are only going to get darker, but right now our first priority is to stop Voldemort's attack. Then we can work on breaking the barricade between the muggle and wizard worlds. Until then, we bide our time. The Minister should be coming here shortly—he has met with the other school's principals so we will know if more students will be coming here. There has been the mention of creating an underground sanctuary in the Heart of the wizard world; we are working on that. For right now, waiting is all we can do."

The faces around the room were all grim. Remus didn't say a word, but he put an arm on Ron's shoulder in comfort. As the members filed out of the room, Ron and Hermione stayed behind with Remus.

"What's the Heart mean?" Ron asked him.

Remus stared at him grimly. "It's the place where there's the most magical energy. It'll help if a sanctuary is there because it will help strength the barriers we place on it."

"Yes, but I'm afraid there's no telling if Voldemort will give us that chance," Dumbledore spoke warily.

"Poor Harry," Hermione whispered, wiping at her eyes. "He's probably starving by now on the streets or…or d-dead."

Remus pulled her into an embrace to soothe her. Dumbledore glanced at them sadly.

"I cannot say for sure if Harry's alive, but he has been trained well. We mustn't give up on him. Oh, that sounds like Fudge has arrived," Dumbledore said suddenly. "You two should probably get some rest. And Remus, you haven't eaten all day. There's food in the kitchens."

"Thank you Albus," Remus said quietly. "Are you ever going to reveal who the spy is?"

For a second, Dumbledore's eyes twinkled like they used to. "Don't worry, he is very reliable. For his protection, however, I'm afraid I can't reveal that."

Remus nodded silently and began leading Ron and Hermione out of the room. Once Dumbledore was left alone, Fawkes flew to his arm.

"I know, you miss him too," Dumbledore said quietly. "Hopefully, Harry is alright."

Fawkes let out a low, sad tune and Dumbledore turned as the door opened and Fudge stepped inside.

"I'm afraid there's some bad news," Fudge said, rather shakily. "Rita Skeeter is missing, but not only that, Albus…it seems that the Death Eaters have staged raids on several different towns, trying to kill the Ministry members and their families. One family as already been slaughtered—Dawlish and his family. I believe they're not only targeting Aurors but anyone in the Ministry. It's chaos outside!"

"It's just as I feared," Dumbledore sighed heavily. "Voldemort is trying to intimidate everyone so that they feel they have no chance of fighting. He's taking away all their hope and that is what will make his domination much easier if he's not stopped."

"I understand, but…We haven't got many allies. Some giants, yes, and many volunteers of people and families, but that's it. Everyone else wants to run and hide and so many are dying! I wish…," he trailed off momentarily. "I wish that Harry Potter was here."

Fudge looked absolutely defeated and Dumbledore approached him slowly. "I have faith that Harry is still alive, Cornelius. I have seen great potential in him over the years. He is not so easily subdued. The moment we give up all hope is when Voldemort wins. We mustn't let him drive fear into all our hearts. Continue to send out spies to look for more allies; for now, everyone else will be safe in Hogwarts and the scattered underground sanctuaries."

"Won't the Dark Lord look in the sanctuaries first?"

"Most likely, which is why we need that sanctuary underground in the Heart of the wizard world. I'm sure Voldemort will figure we'll try and use it however I believe he's not certain where the Heart is."

"And you are?"

Nodding, Dumbledore's eyes narrowed. "I am, but it will be difficult to get there and create a sanctuary. No doubt if some of us leave and Voldemort attacks the fake Hogwarts it'll leave us vulnerable and there's more a chance he'll figure out where the real Hogwarts is hiding. We must stick together for now, but I will try personally to get the sanctuary set up. Until then, keep me posted."

Looking slightly off-color, Fudge nodded and made his way out. Dumbledore watched him leave and then stared back up at Fawkes.

"I too pray that Harry has survived. We could really use his assistance. Now I must wait until there's a safe chance to see if I can create that sanctuary, Fawkes. It's our only hope of saving many lives right now. Aberforth," Dumbledore whispered aloud, "I pray you have found out some helpful information while you're there. We desperately need it."

**XXXXX**

The dungeon wasn't too hard to find, thankfully. It was the lowest level of the mansion. There was the smell of dried blood and decay and Harry had to hold his breath as he went down there. Looking in the first cell he saw, he noticed it was empty (minus a few rats and probably some other nasty creatures). Setting the body down inside, he shut it and sealed it with a charm just in case. He didn't want any random Death Eaters messing with the body and somehow revealing that the body wasn't him.

There was time before Voldemort planned to attack Hogwarts, but already it was approaching dawn. There was only half the day left before the attack would probably begin. And there was no telling what other plans the Death Eaters had been assigned.

_What about Mulciber? I wonder if he had another mission. Without knowing what it is, I can't very well do it. And what if Voldemort punishes me because of that? What's my excuse? And what if he figures out it's me in disguise!_

Harry forced the anxiety out of his mind; so far he had faced Voldemort and there seemed to be no suspicion. That didn't mean it would last long, however. Harry winced as a pain erupted in his arm. He glanced down to see that his arm was beginning to shrink.

"No," he whispered fiercely.

He forced his arm back to its bulkiness, praying that he could keep up the disguise a little longer.

"What are you doing?"

Harry wheeled around and almost gasped as he saw Severus Snape staring back at him. A part of him wanted to reveal his identity and ask him for help, but another part of him wasn't sure if he was a spy for Voldemort, or Dumbledore. It wasn't worth the risk, he decided finally. He had worked too hard to slip away from the muggle world into Voldemort's mansion. Besides, he had never liked Snape to begin with so now was not the time to try trusting him.

"I was just sealing this up so that no one tries to mess with the body," he stated honestly (remembering that Snape was excellent at Legilimency).

Snape stared at him uncertainly. "Where did you find the boy?" he asked, staring at the lifeless body.

"I found him in an alleyway in the muggle world. He was quite a distance away from the house we originally attacked, but thankfully he didn't escape," Harry responded, forcing a grin on his face.

Nodding, Snape seemed satisfied with the answer. "And you say a Dementor sucked out his soul first?"

"Yes. He was a mindless zombie and he would've just walked around aimlessly, but that would've looked too much like he was still alive anyway. So I decided to kill his soulless body for good measure."

Harry didn't realize how naturally the malice came. Perhaps he had been disguised as a Death Eater for too long already, but it was becoming easier to play the part. Snape stared at the supposed body of the Boy-Who-Lived and Harry thought he saw a flicker of something in his eyes, but he couldn't place it.

"Are you going to leave on your mission?" Harry asked, feigning innocence. He just wanted to know what was going on.

Snape eyed him then snorted. "Of course I am! Planning to tell our liege I've been slacking off? You may have found Potter's body but that doesn't mean you're superior to everyone else."

Glaring at him, Snape began to walk away. As Harry watched him leave he kept wondering how he was going to escape and reach Dumbledore. If Hogwarts was disguised then he wouldn't know which place it was in. However, one of the Death Eater's might. Suddenly, Harry remembered something from earlier—the vision of Aberforth, Dumbledore's brother.

"Severus!" Harry blurted out suddenly, rushing to catch up with him.

Snape stopped, glaring at him harshly. "What do you want Mulciber?" he spat out.

Harry realized the Death Eaters probably called one another by their last names. He mentally smacked himself and glared right back and hid his thoughts.

"Do you know where Dolohov's son is?"

"Why don't you find him yourself?" Snape sneered.

Crossing his arms angrily, Harry forced a snort of amusement. "I need to talk to him about his mission; I have some information that could help him. And unless you want him to fail, which would anger our liege greatly and you'd be the cause of it, you'll tell me where he is!"

Harry held his breath as Snape stared at him silently. Finally, Snape wheeled around with his cloak billowing behind him.

"He's already on his mission," he snapped.

Harry's heart sank, but Snape suddenly stopped without turning to face him. "If you really want to find him, you should go to Godric's Hollow."

With that, he left and Harry stared at his retreating back in shock. Godric's Hollow…the place where his parents lived and where they were murdered? Was that a lie to try and get him to react? Did Snape suspect the body in the dungeon wasn't really him? Or perhaps Doholov's son really had a reason to go there for his mission, but why? The only way he was going to find out is if he went there. Taking in a deep breath and then nearly gagging from the horrid smell of the dungeons, Harry made his way upstairs toward the main entrance where he had walked in. Thankfully, no body stopped him or questioned him. There seemed to be no one around so he slipped outside unnoticed and summoned a broom. Then he took off to the sky.

The sensation of being on a broom again almost allowed him to forget about his worries; he felt so free and weightless. He hadn't realized just how much he missed being in the wizard world and playing Quidditch. Now, if he ever wanted to be able to see Hogwarts again and graduate from it, or play Quidditch ever again, Voldemort would have to be stopped. If he took over, there would be no enjoyment in the world—it would be dark, oppressed and filled with bloodshed.

He hoped with all his might that Doholov's son was who he thought he was—that the vision he had wasn't an illusion. If he was Aberforth in disguise, he would be able to tell Harry where to find Dumbledore. However, if it wasn't Aberforth, he'd be putting himself in a lot of danger and there was the possibility the Death Eater would run straight back to Voldemort if he revealed his identity. He had to be careful, but it was now his one hope of getting to Dumbledore.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_

**Sorry for the delay in this story! Life is busy and of course I have many stories to update. However, I'm slowly finishing them off one by one. Thankfully, this was a nice, long chapter. I will not make you wait as long for the next chapter, promise!**

To Reviewers: 

**FrodoBeutlin: **Hey, yeah I realized that I made chapter six seem TOO realistic. As you can tell by chapter 7 it was all an illusion so Harry didn't get back so easily, but I fixed it so that there are hints so now it's quite obvious something was amiss. Anywhoo, sorry about the long wait!

**Iniysa (Lauren): **Hello! Yes, I'm SO sorry about that! You'll probably have to go back AGAIN and re-read everything cuz I took forever once more! I really won't take as long this time around. I hope to finish most stories by the end of September (so I can start some new ones) so hopefully this will be done by then. And I will update sooner! Thanks!


	9. The Ultimate Task

**Metamorphosis**

**Chapter 8: The Ultimate Task**

Godric's Hollow was a small muggle village, tucked away on the outskirts of England. Harry wasn't sure of the exact location of the cottage his parents had been hiding in when Voldemort found them, but he knew that the place where it had been (before it was destroyed) was in the area. As Harry flew down toward his birth place, he grew wary. However, he had nothing to be wary of because neither Doholov nor anyone was there. Snape had either deceived him or this was the last place Doholov went and perhaps no one knew his whereabouts.

Harry was forced to go back to the Death Eater hideout and struggled to keep up his appearance as Mulciber. He avoided speaking with Death Eaters when necessary and wished he could run to Hogwarts, but with its protections he wouldn't be able to find it now—not with it being disguised and hidden.

As if things couldn't get worse, the Death Eaters nearby cried out in pain and lifted their sleeves to show the Dark Mark burning. Harry's mark didn't burn because he wasn't really Mulciber, but it was clear Voldemort was summoning them. He hoped he'd be able to continue to fool Voldemort. They were summoned into the same room as last time. And there were many more Death Eaters now. Harry was nervous, but he kept his head bowed down low. Voldemort appeared some minutes later in his long cloak and Harry could feel his apprehension.

"It's time for the second part of my plan! It has come time to attack Hogwarts!" Voldemort exclaimed and Harry felt his throat constrict, but he fought to leave his mind blank. "I won't be joining you, but I expect success. I have another task ahead of me before I seek out Dumbledore and kill him."

"My lord," a death eater spoke up. "Do you mean to say that Dumbledore won't be there?"

"No," Voldemort sneered. "He's out searching or even heading to the heart of the wizard world. I know where it is now and it'll be heavily protected by magic, but once I find what I seek I'll be able to break the sanctuary down with ease. No, Dumbledore thinks his Hogwarts is safe as of now. He thinks that he's got one step ahead of me, but little does he know…," Voldemort cold, eerie laughter rang out. "So while you all keep the Hogwarts staff protected and try to break in, I'll be after Dumbledore myself. And I expect once you have broken in, which will happen once the barricades become weak enough, that you'll kill all the teachers there. Any Slytherins you may keep alive for possible alliance if necessary, but most are children aren't useful to me. Now go! All except Bella, Avery, Lucius, Narcissa, Mulciber, Nox, Macnair, Alecto and Amycus Carrow, and Selwyn."

All other Death Eaters, at least a hundred left, and Harry was certain Dementors would join in. He wished he could go and help out, but he couldn't; it would give himself away.

"Now, you all have been chosen to hear out my plan in detail. You are my closest and most loyal servants."

Bella grinned eerily but Voldemort just paced slowly in front of them.

"I am in search of this item I have mentioned. It's a ring with a topaz gem and inside this gem is a shrunken heart of an ancient beast—the Silverback Tyrant. A beast with several colors, silver being the main one, and many unexplainable powers. It could release flames of various colors, depending on the attack they were using. They were the most powerful creature and still to this day no one understands their powers. A very powerful sorcerer, whose name still remains a mystery, was the only man who found the power to destroy these feared beasts. People were worried that these tyrants would multiply to hundreds and soon destroy all humans. And this man happened to be the prodigy of Merlin, about a hundred years after Merlin's death. But he had ancient scrolls…he knew everything Merlin did, plus his own studies with shaman and hag magic. With the combination of all these he was able to slay this threat.

"And then he was forced to kill them all," Voldemort continued as he stared at each one. Harry listened and kept his head low. "Those in power told him if he didn't they'd kill his family so he did. But the last one alive that he killed, when he was injured greatly, he cut out of the heart. He ended up discovering that the heart still lived even when the tyrant was dead and that the heart was the source of the beast's powers. So he made it into a very powerful ring that the fool never used for he died shortly thereafter and hid the ring safely. The only person to have discovered this information was Salazar Slytherin, back then, for he killed a shaman for power and ended up discovering the underground room that belonged to this man. And he found the journal which contained all this information, except the whereabouts of the ring.

"And my family is a descendent of Salazar Slytherin, but none of them had enough power or brilliance to figure out how to open this journal that was passed down, which Salazar had charmed closed, until I obtained it. And now I have this knowledge and will be the first to track down this ring. The Silverback Tyrant's powers are unlike anything in the wizard world; so different from any other magic, and so uncontrollable; just sheer power. This Merlin's prodigy cleverly trapped these powers, the heart, inside a topaz gem. As you all know, topaz is the one gem that can hold magic the strongest. From reading this journal and Salazar's notes, I've come to the conclusion that Salazar was right—this ring can be used for great things. It can amplify ones power. This man wrote in the journal that he was afraid of its power…that it could be used to cause disaster and that is exactly what I will do when I find it!"

The Death Eaters cheered and Voldemort silenced them by raising his hand.

"As to who is protecting this ring or where its location is…I believe that the Black Hag might have something in her possession that can help me. It's unlikely Merlin's prodigy ever found her to give her the ring directly, but I'm certain the Black Hag has a Shaman's Talisman, one that can predict things, like that of a Seer. And with it the ring can be traced! However, the Black Hag is infamous. She collects all sorts of magic and has never been found. Even other hags don't know where their queen hides."

"Is she an enemy, my lord?" Bella asked.

Voldemort inhaled and his red eyes gleamed in the dim light. "Not exactly. She's neutral when it comes to wars, but she doesn't like wizards much either. Her only goal in life is to harbor magic for herself. Hag's can live much longer than any other creature. Hag's can absorb powers and they love collecting them, but they have limits as to what powers they can use. They are not the sort that confront wizards. Some of them hunt out children to eat, some do it out of sport, but they are not all powerful. However, it's their cleverness to fear…they can steal things, magical items, right under your nose. Many books and treasures have been lost over the years, said to have been stolen by Hags. They will collect these things to think themselves better than wizards, because in reality a confrontation with several wizards could result in their death easily, but feel superior to wizards they steal magic and hide it away from them. This Black Hag I'm sure has more magical items than any other Hag, otherwise she wouldn't be called their queen.

"But her whereabouts are impossible to discover, unless…there's a ritual of Salazar's that he wrote in this journal and it can only be spoken in Parseltongue. And with it, if I found a Seer or someone with foresight of any kind, the Black Hag's hiding place should be revealed. The ritual is a powerful one…one that seeks power and Hags have many powers harbored. Yes, if I concentrate hard enough I should find her, but I need a Seer or someone with foresight first. And then when I find her I'll kill her and steal that Talisman and find that ring! That is why I asked you, Carrow, to seek out one," Voldemort said, bending down to the male.

"Yes my lord, and I've got one. An old woman with foresight. She's not a Seer, my lord…they're very difficult to find these days, but she has foresight. I made sure. And she's in the dungeon right now."

"Bring her up!" Voldemort exclaimed in excitement.

Harry kept his face hidden and waited breathlessly as they brought an old woman to him. The old woman was pale and filled with terror and Voldemort made Carrow force the woman to kneel in front of Voldemort. Voldemort then began to speak in Parseltongue and Harry mouthed the words unnoticed to try to remember them. If he were to find that ring first, it would ruin Voldemort's plan and hopefully save Dumbledore and Hogwarts. The old woman's eyes began to roll back in her head and her body trembled violently. Suddenly, she fell over pale and still.

"She's dead!" Carrow said fearfully.

Voldemort pointed his wand at Carrow and hissed "crucio!" The man wreathed on the floor in agony for a minute before Voldemort released him.

"She was too old and too weak! I need someone younger, you fool! Find me one now!"

Carrow shakily got up, bowed and apparated out. Voldemort ignored the dead body and paced and Harry could feel his rage.

"My plan can't work without that Seer! Bella, Lucius, I want you both to look for one as well!"

"Yes my lord," they both said, apparating out.

"The rest of you go until I call you again!"

They all bowed including Harry and then they apparated out. Harry did so as well, but when he came to an empty part of the fortress he realized that he was beginning to change back into himself. He didn't have enough strength to put up the disguise so he slipped out of the fortress and apparated away from it to Hogsmeade where he hid on the outskirts behind a tree. He kept repeating Salazar's ritual so he wouldn't forget and turned a rock into parchment and a stick into a quill so he could scribble it down.

He sat there resting for some time and thinking of how he would get the ring or perhaps find the Black Hag before Voldemort. Anything was better than sitting around just waiting for a time to run to Dumbledore. So far, there didn't seem to be a chance.

_But I had that premonition of Aberforth…and I've had premonitions before…I know it's probably because of my scar, but still…it's a kind of foresight, isn't it? Perhaps if I close my eyes and concentrate and repeat that ritual, maybe I could find it. _

Harry sat down on the ground and took a few deep breaths. He tried it several times but nothing happened. He wondered if it was because he was tired and hungry. So he slipped into a Hogsmeade store and stole some food. Most places were closed so it didn't matter anyway. The bread was harder than it was supposed to, but it didn't have mold on it so Harry was satisfied. He didn't feel as though he had much of an appetite anyway, being since he was always tense, anxious and afraid. His main concern was that he'd never be able to help out Dumbledore in time, which would result in Voldemort's success and ultimate domination and the deaths of many people he cared about. His second concern was that Voldemort would discover that he wasn't Mulciber and that his archenemy was still alive and torture and kill him slowly.

And then of course he was also frightened at the idea that he'd have to try to live out as Mulciber for a year or so before anything could be done and that the war could go on for years and that he'd never be able to see Hogwarts again…sooner or later, as a Death Eater, he'd be assigned a mission, most likely one to kill. And without reporting back, Voldemort would get suspicious and if he didn't complete the mission Voldemort would torture him and possibly kill him anyway. Of course he could hide out and Voldemort and the other Death Eaters might just think Mulciber was captured or killed by Dumbledore or Aurors, but then that still didn't help his predicament.

Sighing heavily, Harry leaned back against the tree feeling stressed and defeated. It was the first time that he had done such a risky and potentially fatal scheme all on his own and yet he felt completely helpless at the same time. He hadn't realized he had closed his eyes until the sound of the howling wind woke him. He had fallen asleep, probably because he had exhausted his mind and body using so much magic and not having eaten properly in a while. That was one good thing about the Dursleys however: he was used to being starved so he could go a lot longer without eating properly. He could survive for a while on very little food and that was going to come in handy.

Harry found a storage cellar a little while later in one of the closed shops and decided that was a good place to hide. At least he'd be out of the weather in case it rained and he also wouldn't be in plain sight. Rummaging through his pockets, which were full of the shrunken things he had grabbed from the Dursleys before the Death Eaters had burnt the house down, Harry found that he had forgotten all about his invisibility cloak. That would also come in handy. He had some crackers and a bottle of water that was warm, but it soothed his throat none-the-less. He had a couple of potions, one of them was a strengthening potion (which Hermione would use when staying up really late to study) and the other was a levitating potion (he wasn't sure if that would come in handy), but it was all he was able to grab in time.

Harry tried to do the spell again, closing his eyes and concentrating but still nothing happened. He wondered if his foresight wasn't strong enough because it was limited by his connection to only Voldemort, as far as he knew. Some time passed and Harry fell asleep again, thinking about his friends and Dumbledore. He woke with a start sometime the next day after having a terrible nightmare about Hogwarts being burned down with all his friends inside.

Once again, he tried doing the ritual and this time he put a hand over his scar to try to tap into its ability. He kicked the wall in frustration when nothing happened. He was going to try again when he heard voices outside. Panicking, Harry sat up quickly and listened. He couldn't make out words so whoever it was must've been a distance away. Worming his way toward the exit, he flung his cloak over him and slowly opened the door to the shop. He looked around and then spotted a figure just before it went down another street. Harry quickly closed the door quietly and followed where the figure had gone.

There were two figures and Harry didn't recognize them, but they were in black cloaks which made Harry believe they were Death Eaters. The strange thing was they weren't invisible nor did they have masks on, but the hoods of the cloaks covered most of their faces.

"Which store would have it?"

"How the hell should I know?"

Harry listened as the man and woman spoke to one another.

"Why our lord wants this potion so badly is beyond me," the woman spoke quietly and Harry tensed; they were Death Eaters. "It doesn't have anything to do with finding a Seer or person with insight nor does it have to do with the Black Hag."

"We're not to ask questions. I think this used to be a charm shop here. Let's see if it's here. If not we may have to break into that old professor's house. I'm sure he has what we're looking for."

"Right, but we'll only do that if necessary. Dumbledore and his annoying aurors are alert for any signs and if we get caught or clue Dumbledore in at all our liege will kill us!" the woman hissed. "Or at least torture us for a good deal. Hurry up!"

The two of them used powerful spells to burn a hole through one of the shops. Five minutes later they came out holding some bottles and then vanished. Harry breathed a sigh of relief. It didn't seem to him that there was any meeting going on. The Death Eaters all seemed to be just going about their orders and thankfully Voldemort hadn't given anything specific to Mulciber. Harry hurried back to his hiding place and then decided to drink half of the strengthening potion. He was becoming desperate. Then he meditated for a few minutes and tried to rub his scar. Then he concentrated hard on the Black Hag and repeated Salazar's ritual several times.

By the third time, Harry felt his scar tingle. At first he felt Voldemort's satisfaction—one of his Death Eaters must've brought him good news. But then suddenly, he felt something strange…it was like something pulling on him from the inside. It didn't hurt exactly, but it felt uncomfortable. A chill ran up his spine and something flashed before his eyes, even though he had them shut tightly. It was a frozen land…and then a mountain…then a very dark place, seemingly underground. He felt another shiver and then his eyes opened. He thought…he hoped it had been a vision, but it was all in pieces. He wasn't sure he understood what he saw.

_Wait…I think I recognize that lake. I saw it in a picture…that's right! When Ron showed me that picture of his brother Charlie in…where was it, Ireland, no…Iceland, I think. It had a strange name to it…_

Harry thought back to when Ron was bragging about his brother searching for a skeleton of some ice dragon, a legendary being (Hermione claimed it was only a myth)…and the name had strangely reminded him of Sirius, of his nick-name they had given him in his Animagus form as a disguise, Snuffles…

_Snaefell! That's it! So perhaps that's where I need to go. Okay, that means I need to find a shop to steal some warmer clothes and then somehow get there. I think I have enough Wizard money for a couple of train rides. I'll have to be careful though. I can go as Mulciber, but have my cloak on so it makes me look less threatening. After all, I can't go as myself and Mulciber shouldn't be that recognizable as a Death Eater, as long as I don't meet other Death Eaters along the way. And he's the only one I can metamorphmagize or…whatever, morph into. Of course once I get there, I won't know where to start looking…maybe I could get another vision, but if not…I might just starve to death or even freeze before I find the Hag, if I even can find her. _

There were so many uncertainties but Harry was desperate. If Voldemort found a way to get to the Hag first there'd probably be no stopping him. Then trying to reach Dumbledore and the others would be pointless. He had to stop Voldemort's plan, even if that meant sacrificing his life. As long as he could prevent Voldemort from at least obtaining the Talisman, it might be enough to foil his scheme.

Harry flew immediately to the train station and morphed into Mulciber, which proved more difficult than before since the strengthening potion was wearing off. He bought a ticket to Iceland and had to wait a while before the train got there. No body recognized him as he got on and he found a relatively empty compartment. While he was there, since it was a ways away, he decided to ask this older woman near him. He explained to her the area he was looking for.

"Hmm," she said thoughtfully. "If you're looking for a mountain nearby, I'd say it'd have to be the one named after the area, Mt. Snaefell. It's the second highest peak in Iceland, you know," she said as an afterthought. "But many people don't go around that area; it gets so cold and it's rather isolated, especially if you're planning a hike up the mountain. I don't even know if it's climbable, but I do know that it's so windy and snowy and just…well, miserable."

"Do you know of any, like…caves in the mountain or anything?" Harry asked.

The woman appeared confused. "No, can't say I do. I doubt there would be caves. It's not just a mountain, you know. It's actually a volcano, well a stratovolcano. There are three volcanoes with the name Snaefell, including the well-known mountain Snaefellsjokull. You might be referring to the Snaefellsjokull because it's located in the area you described. But then again…they're all very similar. So I'm not sure."

"Which one's the most isolated?" Harry asked her.

"Oh…that would be the rather unknown, well not unknown, but the mountain that most tourists don't bother with. And it hasn't really been climbed much…not much of an attraction, if you ask me. It's the one south-east of the Vatnojokull, which is near the glacier lake Jokulsarlon. The lake isn't hard to miss, because it's actually well-known and quite beautiful, but the mountain is just a distance away from it. You see, I know Iceland well because I've lived there all my life, you know. I've just been visiting family here," she said with a wave of her hand.

Then she started telling him about her family and Harry just nodded and kept quiet for most of the ride. When she got off, Harry made sure to ask one of the people with carts about the area the older woman was referring to and got subtle directions toward the glacier lake, which was the only thing he could remember. It was cold and windy and rather miserable, but Harry was grateful when he found the lake. It had many icebergs floating along and while it was cold, it was a beautiful sight. The lake stretched across the expansion of land toward the horizon and many smaller mountains surrounded it. He had to fly low on his broom because the winds were too strong so he had to watch for muggles.

After some time of walking, which caused his feet and hands to become rather numb despite being covered, Harry saw a large mountain of snow, situated very high and reaching toward the sky. Some parts of it revealed rock and Harry believed he had found the right mountain. The entire area was isolated…no people, no tracks, no shacks or signs of life in that direction. Just the tall mountain covered in snow with several smaller mountains somewhat attached to it.

Shivering violently, Harry approached it wondering how to figure out if the Black Hag was somewhere inside the dormant volcano. He stood there for several minutes, trying to think of a way to figure out. He was much too cold to be able to concentrate on Salazar's ritual again, but perhaps if he touched the mountain he might get a sense. The mountain was cold even through his gloves and he forced his eyes shut. He couldn't sense any magic or at least he didn't think he could unless she wasn't just inside the mountain. Perhaps she was _beneath_ it, closer to the heart of the frozen volcano or rather now a mountain of snow. He at least had to try to get inside, if possible. It'd be warmer than standing outside.

Harry attempted to apparate but something pushed him backward. He tried again, but the same feeling occurred. Something magical was blocking him from apparating. Harry pointed his wand shakily at the mountain and whispered "incendio!" A scorch mark appeared and then suddenly began to vanish. Harry said it again and this time kept using the spell and the scorch mark would get deeper, but didn't do much else. Harry unfortunately saw no alternative other than trying to tap into more power. The only way he could think of how to do that was to drink the rest of the strengthening potion and try again. He did so, but still the same effect occurred. Harry was becoming frustrated.

He then placed his hands on the mountain and tried Salazar's ritual. A wave of sensation came over him and Harry backed away. Just like back in the Chamber, where he had reflexively stabbed the diary with the Basilisk fang, Harry got the same instinctive urge. He hissed Salazar's ritual once again at the same time that he pointed his wand at the structure and thought of the spell.

He repeated Salazar's ritual again and suddenly the outside of the rock, including the snow, melted and left a hole big enough for Harry to squeeze through. The second he entered however it closed back up as if it had never been broken. There was a narrow path that just barely fit one person that led downward and Harry followed it until he came to a wall. It was obviously magically sealed. Harry came to the conclusion that Salzar's ritual was meant to harness and increase power—that was why Voldemort used it on a Seer or someone with foresight. It would force the person's powers to their peak and then give Voldemort whatever he was seeking, in theory. And that's why Salazar's ritual had worked for him. Harry wanted desperately to get inside and the ritual amplified his spell "incendio."

Once again, Harry repeated the ritual and pointed his wand at the wall. The spell didn't seem to be working. After a few tries, Harry decided to test out "alohomora" with Salazar's ritual and was shocked when the wall began to disintegrate. He wasted no time and threw himself through it before it closed back up. Harry found himself in a warm cave-like area with hundreds of piles of trinkets and books and random items scattered across the place. There was a fire blazing in the center of the small, wide space. But he hardly had any time to examine the room before he felt something tight squeeze around his chest and legs.

Harry struggled even as the enchanted rope began suffocating him by squeezing the breath out of him. He finally stopped struggling and the rope didn't squeeze any harder. It acted just like Devil's Snare in that the more one struggled the harder it squeezed so Harry remained still in hopes that he could find another way to escape it.

"Clever boy," an eerie, high-pitched voice cackled.

From his left came a chubby figure that was about as tall as him. The face was rather hideous and covered with several moles. The eyes were large and black and the hair was long, thick and uncombed. What Harry assumed was a Hag was wearing a black amulet around her neck and black robes that tied and twisted in a confusing manner around her thick body. They were shiny like silk, but Harry wondered if that was just because they had been charmed.

"Are you the Black Hag?" Harry asked anxiously.

The figure cackled again and snapped her fingers and the rope began slinking up toward his throat.

"I don't answer questions."

"Please," Harry choked out as the rope wrapped around his neck. "I've come to w-warn you…a-about…," Harry could scarcely breathe now, "…Voldemort…"

The Hag seemed intrigued and snapped her fingers again. The rope left Harry's throat and he coughed loudly as he tried to regain his breathing. She didn't untie him completely and instead approached him while fingering the amulet around her neck.

"I'll give you one minute to explain your warning and who you are before I kill you."

"I'm Harry Potter," he answered instantly, hoping his name would be a good thing.

The Hag stopped and tilted her head. Her wide black eyes studied him carefully and she seemed a bit surprised.

"Harry Potter? Well, so the rumors are true then. You're a powerful boy, my dear. No one's ever been able to track me down, well…I suppose that's not true. Only one other tracked me down many, many years ago and that was Salazar Slytherin. However, I managed to fool him into thinking I was just a servant of the Black Hag's and gave him precious information that distracted him long enough for me to flee. If I hadn't stolen a certain sorcerer's amulet he would've been able to kill me. But what brings you here, Harry Potter?"

"I come to warn you about Voldemort. I know you've heard of him. He's Salazar Slytherin's heir and he's looking for you."

"Hmm," the witch's eyes narrowed. "Why? What sort of power could an old Hag like me have that he's interested in?"

"Please. If you'd just release me I'll tell you."

Harry knew that the second he let all the information loose she'd probably kill him and he wouldn't get a chance to explain that he needed her help. She stared at him and finally grinned at him toothily.

"I want your wand first, boy. Don't take me for a fool."

"I don't want to harm you I just need your help. Both your life and my life are in danger," Harry pleaded.

The witch backed away and Harry thought perhaps she wasn't going to give him a chance, but then she approached him with what looked like a necklace with a large scaley-looking thing hanging from it. She came closer, staring him right in the face and Harry could clearly see her thick, slightly wrinkled skin and fiery gaze, and she put the necklace around him.

"This will make sure you can't use magic. If I see you try to take it off I'll kill you."

Then she snapped her fingers and the ropes came undone. Harry was surprised, but managed to keep his balance.

"Thank you," Harry said.

"Now, why is Voldemort looking for me?" she asked harshly, staring him in the eyes.

"Well, you have a certain Talisman. A shaman Talisman that he needs," Harry explained.

"Hmm…I have several, yes. Which one is he looking for?"

"One that will lead him to great power," Harry said. "You might not know it. Voldemort claims that you have no idea of its power, because you wouldn't be able to tap into it the same way wizards can."

The Hag watched him closely and put one arm around her waist and the other rested on top of it.

"Very well…I'm sure you're not lying. And I see that scar on your forehead so you are Harry Potter, the famous boy whom the Dark Lord Voldemort could not defeat. Yes, I've heard of you both. Why don't you sit a while and tell me everything you know."

"Er…," Harry hesitated. "You're not going to eat me are you?"

The witch stared at him and suddenly burst into hysterical cackles. Although it wasn't half as creepy as Voldemort's laugh it was shrill and loud.

"How rich! You're hardly plump enough even if I were the type of Hag to feed off of children. But I scarcely eat food. I survive on magic, by stealing magic and keeping it here with me. The more magic I collect, the stronger I feel and the longer I live. I can live for thousands of years," she grinned widely. "Now sit!"

Harry approached her cautiously as she gestured to an old velvet chair near the fire. It was dusty but Harry just sat down, not wanting to be rude. She herself sat in a very strange chair—one made from skin of some sort with relics and creature's teeth hanging all over it. The Hag caught Harry examining the chair and she cackled again.

"Yes, I am what you wizards call the Black Hag. I am the Queen of all Hags. I'm the eldest and the strongest, because I have collected the most magic. And this," she gestured to the chair, "is my throne, made of Hungarian Horntail skin with various pieces of powerful creatures and even humans."

Harry swallowed thickly and nodded.

"Now tell me about this Talisman. What does it do that I can't harness?" she asked, sounding harsh and a bit angry.

"Er, well, I know that Voldemort knows how to use its power to find a very sacred ring."

"A ring? That's it?" she asked. "What's so special about a ring?"

"Well, it has a Silverback Tyrant's heart inside of it."

This time the Hag sat up straight, staring at him with wide eyes. "A Silverback Tyrant? It can't be…We used to worship them until they were all slaughtered by your kind."

"Well, this ring is the last connection to those beasts," Harry said. "Apparently they were the most powerful creature known and had powers like wizards and powers like a creature's. And with its sheer power, trapped inside of a topaz gem in this ring, Voldemort can probably use it to amplify his powers a lot. I think Salazar tried looking for it too."

"And you want the Talisman then?" she asked, eyeing him.

"Yes, to find this ring before Voldemort does, but I'm willing to make a deal with you. I'm willing to let you keep this ring after I stop Voldemort."

"Willing?"

"Yes. Being since I'm a wizard I could try accessing the Talisman's power that will lead to that ring, which you couldn't do on your own. And if we work together we could both survive."

She stood up. "And how is it you propose to keep me from being killed by him if he should find me?"

"By tricking him," Harry said. "I have a plan. I'm sure it'll work to protect you and if it doesn't, well…trust me, we'll both go down. But if you were to kill me, or even just let me go, Voldemort would find you eventually. Just please let me tell you my plan."

The witch's eyes gleamed in the dim light, but she nodded. "Go on."

Harry explained in detail his plan and she stood silently for several minutes. "I suppose it could work…but how do I know you'll really come back to me to give me the ring?"

"I could make a wizard's oath," Harry suggested.

"No. Wizard's oaths mean nothing to me. But how about you give me something valuable of yours that you would want back."

It wasn't a question or a request, but rather a demand. And Harry sat thinking about what he could offer for her to hole on to.

"How about your wand," she said, coming closer with an eerie smile on her face.

"I can't, sorry. I'll need it to fight Voldemort," Harry said. "But…How about my Invisibility Cloak?"

The witch seemed intrigued and Harry pulled it out and enlarged it to show her. "It's very special to me," Harry said, holding it. "It was my father's and it was passed down to me. It's very, very expensive and hard to make in the wizard world so not many people have it, especially since the creatures who are used for making it are becoming harder to find. I could give this to you, but I'd want some sort of oath between us because I don't trust that if I come back to give you the ring that you'd give this back."

Cackling, the witch eyed him again. "Yes…trust is hard to come by…I certainly don't trust you. But I've heard you're an honest boy. Show me how it works."

Harry threw the cloak over himself and vanished from sight. He heard the witch make a noise of satisfaction and Harry took it off.

"Very well. We'll make a blood oath so that I will get the ring and you will get your precious cloak back. Besides, I could use this powerful ring more than that cloak. The power in that ring could make me immortal," she smiled widely. "So I'll make this oath with you, Harry Potter. And keep in mind I've never made an oath to anyone before."

Harry nodded and she then summoned a dagger. Harry tensed as she approached and watched her closely. Slowly, the Hag cut herself on the palm of her hand with the dagger and then held it out to him.

"You cut your hand too and we'll shake on it. That's how the blood oath works."

Harry swallowed and stared at the dagger, which was dripping with her dark maroon blood. Reluctantly, he reached out for the dagger but the witch stopped him. She gestured for him to put his palm up and Harry nervously did so. She sliced a cut in his palm and Harry winced, fighting the urge to shut his eyes from the sharp sting. She then clamped her hand in his and they shook as their blood trickled between their palms and drops fell to the floor.

"Now, hand me your cloak and I'll find that Talisman. You may have to try all of them since I don't know which one will lead to the ring."

"Alright," Harry answered and then handed the cloak over to her.

She felt its soft material and smiled and then walked away. She came back with three Talismans and instead of handing them all to him, she gave him only one.

"Try one at a time," she said.

Harry nodded. He figured that perhaps Salazar's ritual would work on the Talisman to show where Merlin's prodigy hid the ring. However…Harry realized he'd have to focus on finding the ring as he spoke the ritual, which meant using his scar's ability. Anytime he used it, it risked Voldemort being able to see into his mind. And if Voldemort discovered he was alive and found out what he was doing…it would all be over.

But he had to take the risk. Harry took off the necklace the Hag had put around him and then held the Talisman tightly in his hand. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the ring and then began to repeat the ritual in Parseltongue. He did so several times, but nothing happened except a strange tingly sensation.

Harry opened his eyes and saw the witch staring at him with an unreadable expression.

"I don't think this one's the one," Harry said uneasily.

"You speak the language of the serpents," she said quietly, staring at him with an intense gaze. "That's dark magic."

Harry didn't know what to say so he didn't say anything. Very slowly the witch snapped her fingers and the Talisman in his hand floated back to her and she let another one float toward him. Harry tried to ignore her stares and concentrated only on the Talisman. As he repeated the ritual he felt something tugging at him, much like what happened before. He concentrated even more, trying to get a sense of what he was feeling. And then it came. Images appeared before him and suddenly he lost it.

Harry's eyes opened and he realized he felt lightheaded. "I think…I think it's it. But the images just vanished."

"You're not strong enough?" the witch asked sounding as though she was warning him.

Harry shook his head. "No, it's not that, it's…I'm going to have to try harder to use more power. And…well, it might alert Voldemort."

The witch's eyes narrowed. "How?"

"My scar bonds us though I'm not sure why. I can use it to tap into power, you know, foresight, but it risks getting Voldemort's attention. Still, I think it's the only way I can see where the ring is."

"Very well. Before you do that I will prepare the plan you suggested. Don't continue until I return and am ready just in case you alert him."

Harry nodded and sat down, trying to rest his mind. "Okay, then let me put the spell on that Talisman, the first one I tried."

The Hag came closer and handed it to him cautiously. Harry murmured a charm. "That should do it. You should be able to do the rest."

"I will get a hold of a sister…but if this plan of yours fails trust me, boy. I'll find a way to plead to the Dark Lord for mercy and then hunt you down."

Harry felt his throat constrict but he nodded in understanding. The Hag vanished, but came back a little while later.

"It's all set," she said.

Harry then stood up and held the Talisman tightly in his hand. It was all riding on this and if he didn't figure out where that ring was the Hag would kill him. And even if he escaped her, he wouldn't be able to escape Voldemort. Concentrating on his scar, Harry repeated the ritual slowly, thinking of the ring and its location. He repeated it several more times, trying to calm his racing heart, and then an image flashed before his eyes. He squeezed his eyes shut even tighter and repeated the ritual again. Now he was seeing more clearly…he was seeing more images…

He was seeing a huge, intimidating beast—one with thick black skin and various colors on its back, sharp teeth, a huge body with four legs with talons on each foot, taller than most giants and with a tail as long as a Basilisk. On the end of the tail were more talons. And its eyes…its eyes were what must've given the creature its name, not its skin as it was described over the years…its eyes were a bright fiery silver. Its roar was nothing Harry had ever heard in his life and it was terrifying…more terrifying than a Dementor. It could kill sixty people at once. It could rip apart a Hungarian Horntail in minutes. And its flames were powerful, destructive…and the scales on its back and tail protected it, as did its blue flame that could shield it when attacked. Harry gasped and his eyes shot open.

The Hag was staring at him in wonder. "Well?"

"I saw it…I saw the Silverback Tyrant," Harry said breathlessly. "It was…it was…"

"Unbelievable, isn't it?" the Hag's lips curled slightly. "Yes, that's why we worshipped it. So powerful, so intimidating, so destructive…But did you see where the ring is?"

"Yeah, I think so. I saw images of a house and a secret passage…"

"Good…If you bring me that ring I will forget about you Harry Potter and the fact that you know of my hideout. Of course, I'll have to search for a new hiding place, but I will spare you. And since your plan includes helping spare my life from your enemy, I will help you get there using my magic," she smiled widely. "Just concentrate on the image of that place and I can use some of my magic to get you there, but you'll have to find your own way back to me once it's time."

Harry nodded unsure of what to say. The Black Hag grabbed a purple pouch and pulled out a handful of black dust. She then blew it out of her hands and the dust came at him, surrounding him in a thick windy stream.

"Concentrate on it! Wish for it!" she cackled.

Harry closed his eyes, surprised by this sort of magic that became like a cloud swirling around him. He pictured the place in his mind and felt his stomach lurch. Then suddenly he was falling, falling from a very tall height and he hit something hard, landing down on his side. Groaning, Harry shook his head, surprised when some bits of the black dust came falling out and vanished, and then stood up. He wasn't with the Black Hag anymore. He was inside a small cabin, the cabin that he had seen in the images—a cabin up on top of a high cliff out in the countryside somewhere…Scotland, New Zealand maybe…he wasn't sure. All he knew was that he was there and he had to find that secret passage. There was no telling how close Voldemort was to getting to the Black Hag's hideout.

The cabin was abandoned, decaying and filled with cobwebs. He was certain he saw a pixie fly by. He just hoped there weren't any other surprises, like the ones that happened to be at Sirius' house. Harry tried not to think about his Godfather and just looked around. Nothing looked familiar except…except when he went into the other room. There was the bureau he had seen in the vision. The secret passage should be behind it, but there was no sign on the walls, no portrait, no mark or crack. It was completely masked. And Harry had no idea how to open it.

Although his body was exhausted, he was so close that he just couldn't stop for a rest now. He went to the bureau and pushed it out of the way, which was hard considering how large it was. He ended up having to use magic. And then he touched the wall, searching for some hint as to how to open it. Suddenly, his scar flooded with sensations and Harry could feel Voldemort's pleasure. Had he found the Hag already? Was his plan working? He had to get to the ring!

The only way was probably to use the ritual again, but by using it so many times Harry feared that Voldemort would sense him for sure. Then again, what other choice did he have? If he didn't get the ring he'd die and the world might succumb to Voldemort's rule. Focusing all his energy on his scar, his foresight, he repeated the ritual loudly, placing both hands on the wall. He repeated it over and over again and he felt a surge of power and it wasn't sure if that was him or if he was feeling that from Voldemort through his scar. It was power, then there was a sense of victory…and he kept repeating the ritual. And suddenly there was pain. Harry cried out in agony as his head felt as if it were splitting. His hands remained on the wall, but he couldn't focus…

And then he was falling. He opened his eyes and saw himself fall straight through the wall, as if it was suddenly transparent. Harry breathed out shakily. He had opened the secret passage, but Voldemort had sensed him that time. And he was furious, so furious…he'd probably call Mulciber only to find out that he couldn't sense him. Then soon Voldemort would figure it all out. Harry ran down the short, dark passage. There was nothing at the end but more walls of stone.

"No, no, it has to be here," Harry murmured in a panic.

Sharp pain shot through his scar and he cried out, clutching at it. He fell to the floor on his knees as he heard and felt Voldemort's rage. And he knew that Dementors had been sent out to search for him and if he stayed there much longer they'd be able to sense him. Harry opened his eyes and searched all around on the floor, wondering if there was something he missed. He pointed his wand everywhere, shooting spells and charms desperate for anything to happen. And then the floor moved and Harry stumbled backward. Something rose up from the stone floor and Harry saw it was a hole—a hole in a familiar shape. His eyes widened and he hurriedly searched his robe for the Talisman.

Taking it out, Harry quickly put the Talisman in the sphere-shaped hole, turning it this way and that. Before long it snapped and glowed and then the floor was sinking once more. Harry watched as his heart pounded and his fear increased. How long would it take the Dementors to find him? Did Voldemort know he was alive and in the wizard world, or did he just think he was still alive and trapped in the muggle world? Harry didn't want to wait to find out. The hole in the floor that was now filled by the Talisman slid underneath the top stones. The Talisman split in half and up from the depths from the underground came a box. Harry blasted it open with a spell, impatient and fearful. There in the box lay a glimmering ring, one with a topaz gem.

Harry grabbed the ring, slipped it in his robe and hurried out of the passage without even bothering to check if it was the right ring, or perhaps just a fake. He didn't have time and frankly if that wasn't it then the real ring either wasn't there or had been destroyed. But Harry flew out of the house, thankful that wherever he was didn't have horrible weather. Now his task was to get back to London. He had to find Aberforth, because he was his only ticket into Hogwarts.

And he wanted to check out the Hog's Head once more. It may have looked abandoned, but perhaps Aberforth was still there; after all, from what he had heard about him the man didn't live in one place. Now without his invisibility cloak it'd be harder to travel and not be spotted. However, he didn't have any other choice. He made his way to the train station, hoping that Aberforth was somewhere in Hogsmeade and that he could find him, because without him there was hope of getting to Hogwarts.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_


	10. Sacrifice

Metamorphosis

_**Metamorphosis **_

**Chapter 9:**** Sacrifice**

The broom swept from side to side as the wind banged against him. Harry knew he was flying too high, but he had to make sure he wouldn't be spotted. When Hogsmeade came into view, Harry swooped down as fast as his broom would go, nearly running into the sign of the deserted robe shop. The Hog's Head was just around the corner and Harry landed by the front entrance. He looked around for any sign of life, but the wind was the only thing that he could hear. There were cobwebs dangling from the entrance door as if it hadn't been used in years.

Harry hoped that his instincts were right. In the illusion of the Death Eater's trap in the muggle world, Aberfoth had said to him that they'd meet again. And Harry hoped that it had been a premonition and not just a dead end. He approached the Hog's Head door and reached out for the knob, hoping it was unlocked. A sharp pain spread up his arm and Harry's body was launched backward. He skidded across the ground, scraping his arms and head. Shakily he got up, realizing it had been a shocking charm.

"But those are fatal…how am I still alive?" Harry whispered aloud.

He looked down at his bleeding arm and saw that the ring on his finger was glowing. The ancient ring had protected him. He had used its powers without knowing it. Harry swallowed as he approached again only making sure not to get too close. This proved that someone was inside the Hog's Head. Harry gripped his wand with the hand that had the ring and he pointed it at the door. He whispered the spell "incendio" to destroy the shock charm that had been placed on it. The door sizzled and then sprung open sharply, slamming into the wall behind it. Harry kept his wand in hand and jumped through the doorway.

A spell came flying at him and he ducked and rolled. Then suddenly smoke filled the entire room and Harry covered his face. There was a shadow looming toward him from the smoke and Harry couldn't breathe, because the smoke was so thick. He couldn't see the way out so he stood prepared. The ring on his finger glowed luminously and Harry glanced down at it. He saw the figure hesitate and Harry had time to shoot a stunning spell at the person. He heard a sound of surprise and the figure vanished. Seconds later the smoke began to clear and Harry could finally see. He stepped forward and his eyes widened as he beheld the motionless figure on the floor.

The man's eyes widened in recognition as Harry came into view.

"Harry Potter?"

Harry nodded slowly. "You're…Aberforth."

The older man couldn't move but Harry could see the answer in his blue eyes—the same blue as Dumbledore's. Harry reversed the stunning spell and Aberforth stood up, adjusting his raggedy robe.

"So, you finally came," Aberforth said quietly as he picked up his wand, which had been dropped when Harry had stunned him.

"That illusion then…it _was_ real. You told me we'd meet again."

"Yes, but don't say any more just yet," Aberforth said, putting a finger to his lips.

He waved his wand and the front door shut and locked. Then he placed another shocker charm on it and Harry could see even for an old man, like Dumbledore, he had fast reflexes. Aberforth gestured for Harry to follow him and they went to the very back of the Hog's Head, behind the bar. There was a column that rose up from the behind the bar counters and rose up to the ceiling, helping to hold the building in place. Aberforth bent down and waved his wand at the bottom of the column. A piece of it slid open and revealed an empty slot. Aberforth reached up and lifted something from around his neck. It was a necklace with a pendant on the end in the shape of the slot—a diamond-shape.

Aberforth placed the diamond-shaped pendant in place and turned it several different ways until Harry heard a click. And then from behind him something moved. Harry turned and saw that one of the many paintings hanging on the wall turned upside down and moved so that behind it a wall opened. Aberforth closed the column magically and headed for the opened wall. Harry followed right behind him. There was a tunnel behind the wall and once Harry was inside with Aberforth, the wall closed behind them. And they were left in darkness.

"Lumos ascendius!" Aberforth whispered.

Several torches appeared floating mid-air and lit up the tunnel. Harry's lips parted in surprise as he saw that the tunnel seemed to have no end that he could see. He didn't know how long it was or where it led, but it was definitely much bigger than he had expected.

"What is this?" Harry asked.

Aberforth turned to him and for a second Harry thought his eyes twinkled like Dumbledore's, but his expression was grim.

"It's my secret tunnel where I hide away when I'm not morphed as a bar tender. And I knew you'd come. I tried to contact you magically through your dreams and it seems that it worked."

"Er, yeah," Harry said, not wanting to explain that he hadn't been exactly dreaming. "How is it that you were able to get to me all the way in the muggle world?"

Aberforth's eyes darkened. "I had to try many times. The only way I suspect it went through is when I cursed a Dementor, or tried to."

He exhaled deeply and leaned against the wall. "I heard about the tragedy of your relatives and I also heard about Fudge's idiotic move in closing access to the muggle world. I figured Voldemort was behind it and I knew you must've been trapped. I thought that perhaps if I cast a spell onto a Dementor that it would eventually find you. I knew that Voldemort has always been desperate to get you…everyone knows that and it doesn't take a spy to figure it out. So I thought that Dementors would go to the muggle world since they are neither dead nor alive so they aren't affected by the block that Fudge placed.

"I also know that Dementors communicate with each other telepathically. They don't have thoughts, just feelings…but if that one even came into contact with you, the muggle world or another Dementor, the message would get to you eventually. And I've heard from Dumbledore how resourceful you are in surviving dangerous situations so I had faith you'd receive my message."

Harry nodded. "I did. You told me you're a metamorphmagus like Tonks. And that's how you keep up the appearance of the bar tender, right?"

"Correct. No one but Dumbledore and you know I'm his brother. To Voldemort, I died in the first war. And that's why I continue to hide out here. This secret passage is not listed anywhere and it was created by me and Dumbledore. It leads to only a couple places, one of them including Hogwarts."

"What?" Harry gasped. "You mean…I could get to Hogwarts through this!"

Aberforth nodded. "Yes, but I'm afraid Dumbledore is not at Hogwarts right now."

Harry closed his mouth and slumped against the wall in disappointment. "Oh. Where did he go?"

"To find the sanctuary that is considered the heart of the wizard world. It's the most magically protected spot because for one thing Merlin used to use it to train wizards so there are remnants of his ancient magic. But also Merlin's prodigy, another powerful sorcerer, killed the last Silverback Tyrant in that spot, at least from what oral legends have told."

"You know about Merlin's prodigy and the Silverback Tyrants? Does that mean Dumbledore knows?"

"Yes, it's why he's going there. However…there are many pieces of the legend that are missing. There's no evidence of it, only the story passed along about Merlin's prodigy and his studies of these ancient creatures that no one knows nothing about," Aberforth explained, wiping his forehead with his sleeve. "I'm afraid we know nothing else. But there was enough said to figure out the location of this spot, which is what Dumbledore's spent years working on."

"Do you know about the ring?" Harry asked, holding up his hand.

Aberforth peered at the ring curiously. "No, what is that?"

"It's what Voldemort's after," Harry said. "Do you know if Dumbledore knew about this ring?"

Shaking his head, Aberforth sighed. "I don't know. My brother and I don't keep in touch often. It's too dangerous for both of us, but especially me. If Voldemort were to find out I was still alive he might try to use me to get to my brother. That's why I've worked so hard to keep up my disguise as a poor, harmless old bar tender."

"Look, thank you for sending me that message, but I need to get to Dumbledore! Hogwarts is in danger! Voldemort figured out Dumbledore's plan to disguise Hogwarts as Beauxbatons and I've got to tell him."

"I'm afraid I don't know how to get to the sanctuary he went to. And if what you say is true then not only Hogwarts is in danger. If Voldemort has the upper hand and he's going to confront my brother he's after something else as well. I'm sure it's the Ministry's secret."

"What secret?"

"I don't know, but I believe Albus was protecting some sort of secret that the Ministry contained—something to do with a different story passed down. I don't know the answers, but I know that Voldemort is aware that there's something about or in the Ministry that he doesn't know about and I'm certain he wants to figure it out."

Harry felt his chest tighten. "There must be something we can do. Please! If I at least can get to Hogwarts and warn the teachers they might be able to do something!"

Aberforth sighed and shook his head. "Even if you warn them, the protections on the school won't hold Voldemort back for long. Voldemort grew up at Hogwarts and for years has been growing stronger and with every defeat he learns new strategies. He'll be able to break through Hogwart's protections soon if he can't already. There's not enough power to stop him and all his Death Eaters."

"This ring might be able to help protect Hogwarts…," Harry said aloud, glancing down at his hand. "But I have to find Dumbledore! He might know how to use the ring! If I'm right, Voldemort's probably sent most of his Death Eaters and monsters to Hogwarts and then he's probably gone off to find Dumbledore. And I think Voldemort knows I'm still alive. I think he sensed me when I used magic to find the ring, but I don't think he knows I have it. Aberforth, you have to get into Hogwarts and warn the teachers about Voldemort's attack!"

"I doubt it would help much," he said wearily.

"But…you told me you're a spy for the Order right?"

"No, I used to be a spy for the Order before I faked my own death. Nowadays I occasionally help my brother."

"But you were pretending to be Doholov's son, a Death Eater, right?"

"For a while yes, but that was only to learn about you and possibly what Voldemort was planning. My brother asked me to do that one favor for him and I failed to acquire any really useful details. Rita Skeeter was the one who found the Death Eaters' hideout and heard them mention the Black Hag. After that, Dumbledore asked me to pose as a Death Eater and go there, but I wasn't considered one of Voldemort's most loyal followers so I didn't learn much."

"I know everything Voldemort's planning! I faked my own death too and transformed a Death Eater to look like me! And I posed as the Death Eater to find out what Voldemort was planning," Harry explained as Aberforth's eyes widened.

"You possess metamormagus abilities as well? Dumbledore never mentioned that…"

"Well…it's the first time I've tried and I didn't actually think I could do it, but…anyway, he was planning to get to the Black Hag to get a Shaman pendant that would lead him to this ring using one of Salazar Slytherin's spells. I got to the Black Hag first and convinced her to help me. And that's how I got this ring. And if the Black Hag does what we agreed on, Voldemort shouldn't know I have the real ring until it's too late. That's why I have to get to Dumbledore now before Hogwarts is attacked!"

Aberforth smiled slightly. "I see. You are very talented, Mr. Potter. I suppose I could help, but as I've said before warning the teachers might not be much help."

Harry sighed heavily and gazed down at the floor. He knew that he couldn't give up. He couldn't let Voldemort win otherwise Hogwarts and all his friends would be destroyed. Harry squeezed his eyes shut. He had come this far and had…had killed a Death Eater, albeit after a Dementor had sucked his soul out. There had to be something he could do…it couldn't be a dead end!

Harry gasped aloud. He opened his eyes as he remembered something. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the small box that Voldemort had given him when he posed as Mulciber.

"Could this help?" Harry asked, handing the box to him.

Aberforth held out his hand and took the box. He opened it and with shaky hands pulled out a small bronze sphere. Harry stared at it in wonder.

"By Merlin's beard…," Aberforth whispered. "How did you get this?"

"Voldemort," Harry answered as Aberfroth gazed at him in astonishment. "It's when I posed as Mulciber, one of his most loyal Death Eaters and showed me my fake body. He rewarded me with that. I think he was so thrilled to see my body that he didn't try to read Mulciber's mind much."

"That was a grave risk you took. From what I understand, you have a bond with Voldemort that he can easily sense."

Harry stared at him. "I know. If he had gotten any closer…my scar would've burned so bad and everything would've been ruined, but…I couldn't just sit around waiting for someone to save me."

"Amazing," Aberforth said hoarsely, examining the sphere. "It's an ancient but dark mystical item. It was originally called The Dark Pearl but Salazar named if after himself calling it Salazar's Pearl. Salazar supposedly stole it from the Black Hag centuries ago. It's an item that can store a lot of power, although no one knows for sure all of its abilities. Salazar used it against many, including Godric Gryffindor. If it hadn't been stolen by one of Salazar's followers and gotten lost, it's possible Salazar might've been victorious. Well…perhaps. I'm not sure if this item is really that powerful, but it's definitely one of kind. And I'm certain after all these centuries of being with the Black Hag who feeds on magic it must have a lot of magic stored up inside of it."

"What can it do? And why would Voldemort give one of his Death Eaters something so powerful?"

"It intensifies powers, Harry. That much we know. But it hardly makes one invincible. Voldemort knows that his Death Eaters wouldn't dare challenge him and that this item wouldn't give them the power to destroy him. Only Dumbledore knows how to get around Voldemort's alleged immortality. Even I don't know Voldemort's secret. Albus has been careful to keep that information to himself. But…I believe this item could come in handy. It may increase Hogwart's protections enough to hold the Death Eaters at bay. For how long though I'm not sure."

"It's alright. It's better than nothing," Harry said, pushing off the wall. "Please, Aberforth, go to Professor McGonagall and tell her Hogwarts is in danger and Voldemort's going to attack any minute, if he already hasn't. And tell her I'm alive and I'm going to find Dumbledore. Oh and one more thing!"

Harry took off the ring and handed it to him. "This is for Dumbledore, just in case I don't find him. I think it'd be safer inside Hogwarts anyway."

Aberforth gazed at it and looked at him in surprise. Slowly he took the ring too. "Very well," Aberforth said, slipping the sphere into his robe. "Then I have something for you."

He took something out of his pocket and handed it to Harry. It was what looked like an old book, but it was very small. Not much bigger than the size of his hand.

"This is a special charmed book that Albus and I used as a cover to contact one another. It should help you find him. It is only activated by mine or Albus' voice, for safety reasons, but I will activate it for you. It is my only means of communication with my brother. I wish you luck, Harry Potter. And I hope I have the honor of seeing you again."

Harry nodded, not knowing what else to say. He took the book gratefully. "Thank you."

Aberforth whispered something toward the book and Harry watched as the book suddenly opened. The words originally in the book vanished and instead lines appeared, scribbling everywhere until Harry realized it was a map. A flashing arrow pointed to a spot on the map and Harry knew that it must've been where Dumbledore was.

Aberforth waved his wand and the wall opened up for Harry. After he stepped out of the secret passage, he turned to see quickly vanish down the tunnel. The secret room closed and the painting moved back to its original position. Harry was surrounded by silence again and he stepped back away from the wall. He wanted nothing more than to follow Aberforth to Hogwarts to see his friends and to show them that he was alright. Harry wanted to see his friends again, especially if it might be the last time. But he knew that time was running out and that Hogwart's safety was more important. And now he had to get to Dumbledore.

**XXXXX**

The blood-curdling screams echoed through the night air. Death Eaters stood around watching with frightened eyes as two Death Eaters in particular writhed painfully on the ground. They were both bleeding and their faces pale and sweaty with eyes widened in terror.

"Please master…have mercy!' Doholov cried out as blood oozed from his lips.

The other Death Eater beside him was Avery.

"You both have failed me!" Voldemort hissed angrily as his eyes illuminated the dark. "Do you think I don't know about you sending a false message about killing the boy at his muggles' house, Doholov! Or how you didn't have the brains to see past Potter's disguise, Avery? You let him into my domain and now he has enough information that could ruin my plans!"

Voldemort shot the killing curse at Avery who screeched right before his eyes went blank. Doholov whimpered and stuttered as he pleaded to Voldemort for mercy.

"The boy is not only alive but he has escaped the muggle world! If we don't get to Dumbledore first then all my patience will be for nothing!"

"M-master, please, I didn't know he was still alive," Doholov whispered hoarsely.

Voldemort hissed "cruico" and Doholov screamed yet again. Bella, Lucius, Macnair and others watched on with terror.

"Be it a lesson for you all!" Voldemort shouted, glaring menacingly at all of them. "The boy has slipped through my grasp because of all of you incompetent fools! Dumbledore has taught him well…," he hissed, pacing back and forth as Doholov lay crumpled on the ground. "If I had done things myself I wouldn't have been so distracted and I would've seen through Potter's disguise…All I asked was for you all to take care of _one_ _boy_! One weak child! If any of you fail me again I will dispose of you!"

The Death Eaters were all silent and kept their heads bowed low. Voldemort stopped pacing and ignored Doholov who was still lying bleeding on the ground.

"There is only one thing to do! I must get rid of the boy myself! He must be my top priority once again! Having him alive interferes greatly with my plans!"

"My liege," Bella said quietly as Voldemort's crimson eyes scorched toward her. "What about Dumbledore?"

Voldemort's face contorted with fury and she tensed, but no curse came flying at her. "It will take him a long time to get anything out of the sanctuary! The sanctuary itself doesn't have much power or protection so it must be where the Ministry is keeping its secret. That auror Shaklebolt didn't know anything about the secret when I invaded his mind, but I'm certain Dumbledore knows about it. It could be that it's hidden there. If only I knew the Ministry's secret! Dumbledore was clever enough to make sure none of the Ministry members were aware of it! Rita Skeeter didn't have anything useful either.

"I will figure it out! Dumbledore won't get the better of me! I still have time against him and my other servants have already surrounded Hogwarts. If they breech it we will go straight there to get rid of Dumbledore's source. However, if it's not breeched I must find a way to get the boy. I know him too well by now…I'm certain he's searching for Dumbledore. We must continue our journey toward the sanctuary, but quickly! And this time I'll take care of Potter myself!" Voldemort hissed. "Macnair! Come forth!"

Macnair winced but crawled toward Voldemort with his head bowed. Voldemort pointed his wand at him.

"In order to get Potter I must fool him. Dumbledore will figure out my plan no doubt, but all I need is a few minutes…As long as you remain a distance away from Dumbledore it should buy enough time."

Voldemort waved his wand and Macnair was surrounded by the spell. Bella and the others watched intensely.

"These are your orders!"

**XXXXX**

The book continued to stay open and Harry followed the lines as it showed him where to go. He was the moving dot that was approaching the flashing arrow. Harry hoped that Aberforth had gotten to Hogwarts in time. Harry flew up higher, staring at the book. As Harry continued to get closer, he felt his adrenaline pumping and Harry soared even faster. The wind was blowing the pages, but Harry made sure to keep the book wide open. If it closed he was quite certain he wouldn't be able to get it open again, which meant he'd lose track of Dumbledore's whereabouts.

He soared downward toward a large cluster of trees. He saw something glimmering and he could see that there was a pond, or some sort of body of water down there as well. The map was pointing straight at the pile of trees nearby the body of water. Harry came closer to the thick forest. Unfortunately as he neared that particular spot his broom started spinning out of control. Harry pulled up sharply using his Quidditch instincts. He clutched the open book to his chest as he directed his broom with one hand. After backing away, his broom stopped spinning. Harry floated there mid-air staring at where the map was directing him.

"It must be protected so I can't get right to the spot…," he whispered aloud. "But maybe if I go to a different area of the forest and walk there I might reach it."

Harry went back a short ways and headed down toward the trees. He saw that his place on the map moved farther away from the dot, but he could see that if he just walked through the trees he'd eventually discover Dumbledore's location. It was dark and hard to see because it was nighttime and the eerie silence of the forest only made him more wary. There was an echo a distance away and Harry was certain it was a dragon's growl. There were probably many creatures in the forest that didn't want to be disturbed.

Something nearby slithered and Harry wheeled around. He used his wand for light and examined his surroundings. Nothing seemed to be there. Quickly, Harry ran with the book in hand, following the path that the book directed. He was afraid of it suddenly closing on him and then he'd be lost. It led him toward the pond and the arrow was inside the trees across the pond. Harry wasn't sure if anything was in the large pond, but he didn't want to chance it. He took out his broom and flew above the pond. His broom jerked around, but Harry held onto it tightly.

And then there was the sound of something exploding. Harry saw smoke billowing up from the trees nearby and his heart began to race. He flew unsteadily toward the smoke and was suddenly hurled off his broom. Harry skidded into a bush, scraping his cheek against the ground. Worst of all, the book flew from his hand and snapped shut. Harry's eyes widened and he jolted upward and ran toward the book. He opened it but all that was inside were the original pages as seen before. The map was gone.

Harry stood up, taking out his wand. Turning around, Harry looked to see his broom in mid-air, motionless. Some kind of protection was preventing him from flying to the exact spot. Harry heard the sound of voices, loud and somewhere nearby. Harry hid in the darkness, slowly creeping toward the sounds. When he walked further past many trees there was yet another clearing only this one had a moat that surrounded a small area of land.

"Blast it again!"

Harry jumped as he heard the voice nearby. He dashed behind a tree and peered around it. A small group of Death Eaters were on the other side of the moat shooting spells and curses at the area of land. Their curses seemed to bounce off an invisible shield. Harry was still a distance away so he couldn't tell which Death Eaters were there, but he counted at least ten.

"Put all your strength into it!" a Death Eater shouted.

All of them continued to shoot magic at the protected area.

"Move aside!"

Harry's eyes widened as he saw Voldemort step forth from the crowd of Death Eaters. He was shooting curses as well. Harry watched uncertain of what to do. If this was the place, where was Dumbledore? There was another growl somewhere nearby and Harry was certain a dragon was not happy about the commotion. Another explosion made Harry's heart nearly stop in his chest. Something in the air shimmered and then suddenly aurors appeared. Harry had to shut his mouth before he gave away his position when he saw Dumbledore appear as well. Dumbledore and the few aurors with him were in the land area surrounded by the moat.

"You think this sanctuary will protect you forever, Dumbledore!" Voldemort exclaimed. "You're wasting your time creating this sanctuary! Its power is hardly great."

Dumbledore just stared at him. "You're wasting your time, Voldemort. You don't have enough Death Eaters to break through these protections."

Bella Lestrange laughed and approached. "We'll destroy it eventually, you old fool! We have time while you all just stand there waiting for your defeat!"

Harry's anger boiled at seeing Bella Lestrange. She had pushed Sirius into the veil and Harry wanted nothing more than to see her dead. Stepping backward quietly, Harry walked to the side of the moat so he was a good distance away from the Death Eaters and Voldemort yet still far from Dumbledore. He knew he couldn't cross the moat because of Dumbledore's protections, but at least if he could get Dumbledore's attention perhaps Dumbledore could let him in so that he could help Dumbledore fight off the Death Eaters. He had to do something; he couldn't just sit there!

The area around the entire moat had been illuminated probably due to one of the Death Eater's spells so they could better see Dumbledore. That meant Harry could see as well, but he was still hidden in the darkness. Dumbledore had his wand pointed toward them and Harry could see the strength in Dumbledore's features. Despite Dumbledore's powers, Harry felt the urge to help his mentor. Dumbledore needed to know about the ring and he needed to return to Hogwarts. Not only would Dumbledore then be able to use the ring, once Aberforth gave it to him, but he'd be able to better protect Hogwarts. That way, Dumbledore would have the advantage.

Harry was worried about Voldemort realizing his presence. And yet…if Harry stayed far enough way as Voldemort was distracted Harry might have a chance at evading him. Hopefully once he revealed himself, Dumbledore would let Harry apparate to the moat before Voldemort could. That way Harry could help Dumbledore from inside the moat.

The Death Eaters continued to fire curses and hexes. Harry snuck out of his hiding place as Dumbledore and the aurors continued to cast protections on the invisible barrier. Harry grasped his wand tightly trying to decide what to do. Suddenly, Bella shot a red blast toward the moat causing another explosion that shook the entire moat. Several other Death Eaters seemed to aid her in the explosion and that made Harry react. He wouldn't lose Dumbledore like he had Sirius. Dumbledore and the aurors were shaking due to the fact that the moat was trembling because of the explosion. As the smoke cleared, Harry ran out toward the moat.

"DUMBLEDORE!"

Dumbledore's eyes directed toward him and Harry could see the surprise. The Death Eaters also turned.

"Harry!" one of the aurors exclaimed. He obviously didn't expect to see him alive.

"Hogwarts is being attacked!" Harry shouted.

"POTTER!" Bella screeched.

Harry was a good distance away, but with anger he pointed his wand toward her. A huge blast of power came out of his wand and Harry saw Bella's face turn pale. Many Death Eaters, including Bella, were blown off their feet. Harry wasn't sure if his spell was stronger because he had been wearing the ring recently, or if his anger had made intensified it. Either way, he felt satisfaction as Bella was hurled to the ground. Harry turned to glance at Dumbledore, ready to do whatever Dumbledore said next.

"Harry!" Dumbledore shouted lifting his wand.

He heard the urgency in Dumbledore's voice. It was the same unease that had been in his voice during his fifth year inside the Ministry, right before Dumbledore fought Voldemort. Or rather right before Voldemort had tried to possess Harry. But Harry saw Voldemort with the other Death Eaters a good distance away. As Harry prepared to jump toward Dumbledore he felt pain erupt through his head. He saw Dumbledore shouting something and there was fear in the expressions of the other aurors. The Death Eaters hadn't moved from their places, after being thrown off their feet, but Harry found that he couldn't move. And Voldemort, who was with the Death Eaters grinned widely and suddenly his figure began to waver. And then Macnair stood in his place. Harry's eyes widened and he felt his heart leap into his throat. The pain worsened and even as his vision blurred he felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise.

Harry opened his mouth but he couldn't speak for all his muscles seemed to be paralyzed. His forehead burned with intensity and he couldn't even cry out as the searing pain throbbed in his head. He felt something at the back of his neck, something hard and pointy. There was a cold laugh behind him and Harry knew that he had fallen into a trap. That laugh…the pain…he could barely make out Dumbledore now nor could he hear what was being said. There was too much shouting, too many voices…and all went dark.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_

To Reviewers: 

**Werewolfsong: **Thank you so much! I'm so glad you like this! I'm sorry it was put on hiatus for a little while! There's only a couple chapters left now! And check my profile because that's where I post when things will be updated! I'll try to update this as soon as I can!

**Wolfwhispers: **Aw, thank you! Well, it's okay. Some reviews are better than none! At least I know you're enjoying it! I'm sorry it took so long to update! There's only a couple chapters left so it should be finished soon! Keep checking my profile because I usually post estimation dates and which stories will be updated soon.

**Jynx101: **Thank you! That makes me so happy to hear that you like this story! It's okay if I don't have a lot of reviews! Just getting any feedback is good! And I'm glad you're enjoying it! It should be finished soon! I'll update it as soon as I can! Check my profile shortly because I usually post estimation dates for when stories are updated.


	11. Imprisoned

**Metamorphosis **

**Chapter 10: Imprisoned**

Panic flooded through him as the hazy ceiling brought back his last memory: the memory of shouting out to Dumbledore, of Voldemort (or what appeared to be Voldemort at first) vanishing, and the cold laugh behind him. Harry's instincts told him he had been tricked. He knew the feeling all too well by now. And the fact that he couldn't move was all the proof he needed. It was one thing if a Death Eater had captured him, but it would be nearly impossible to escape if Voldemort himself had captured him.

Harry struggled and then looked down. He appeared to have been bound to the table with magical ropes. No surprise there. But why hadn't he been killed? Maybe…maybe Voldemort wanted information. If Harry withheld it as much as possible he could buy time. Hopefully Voldemort didn't have Veritaserum potion.

His thoughts were interrupted by something graver. The door to the small, windowless room opened. Harry stiffened automatically trying to apparate even though he knew it was useless. Harry closed his eyes shut, praying that it wasn't Voldemort. He heard the door open, and a shuffle of footsteps. And he tried not to tense as he heard the footsteps approaching the table. There was a heavy breath nearby; the person was too close for comfort. But it wasn't Voldemort; his scar hadn't reacted.

The door creaked again and there was another movement farther away.

"Potter's still unconscious," a gruff voice said. It was definitely the man standing beside the table.

"I'll report to our lord at once," another voice, female, said and Harry heard footsteps moving away.

The man beside him seemed to hesitate and Harry waited. He felt the hard tip of something against his neck and knew the man was pointing his wand at him. He wasn't as stupid as he seemed; he was testing to see if Harry was faking. Thankfully, Harry had remained relaxed. But his mind was racing. The other one, the female, had said she'd report to Voldemort. This meant that Harry was definitely in a very dangerous position. There hadn't been too many times when Voldemort had actually had Harry alone with the upper hand. And now here he was wandless, unable to move and at Voldemort's mercy.

The man (a Death Eater no doubt) finally removed his wand and left the room. Harry heard the door shut with a bang. He kept his eyes shut. There was no point in taking risks. It wouldn't help to see where he was anyway. Without his wand, he had no hope of escaping.

Harry concentrated on hiding his emotions and anything he thought Voldemort might need. And even if he didn't…Harry knew Voldemort would take great pleasure in his death. Harry breathed in and out. He had acted too rash again. If Voldemort found out about the Hag and the real ring it was all over. There was no way Harry could fight against Veritaserum, or any of Voldemort's methods for getting into people's minds like he did to Amelia Bones during his fourth year when he'd had the vision. Harry didn't know exactly _how_ Voldemort delved into her mind, but he remembered his vision: Voldemort had described having gone deep into her memories, probing her mind to the point that she was irreversibly screwed up and had to be killed. And he didn't want to find out.

There were voices somewhere close and Harry instantly held his breath. Although his eyes were still shut, he kept his head turned away from the door (and trying to look still unconscious) as he heard the shuffle of footsteps. He couldn't tell how many there were this time. And he wondered if they were coming to get him…to bring him to Voldemort. Maybe if he pretended to be unconscious a little longer they would leave him there, buying him a little more time.

_But to do what? How am I going to get out of this? I just hope that Dumbledore is at Hogwarts and that Aberforth was able to give him the ring! If so, Hogwarts and the rest of the world might actually stand a chance, especially…if something happens to me. _

The door opened and Harry heard a couple of footsteps.

"He's still unconscious," one voice said. It was the deep, gruff voice Harry had heard earlier.

"Why don't you torture him to wake him up?" a female said, sounding excited.

Harry inwardly felt his heart race. He couldn't stop himself from screaming if they used the Cruciatus curse.

"Perhaps we should just use the reviving spell!" another whispered anxiously.

There were three this time, Harry guessed. Harry heard someone approach the table again. Suddenly, something hard whacked his cheek and Harry felt the sting. His muscles instantly tensed and his eyes fluttered. The person above him must not have noticed, hopefully because Harry's head was turned away from the door.

"I thought I saw him move a little!" the female exclaimed. "Hit him again."

"There's no need for that," a cold, hissing voice sounded.

Goosebumps instantly rose on Harry's skin and he was thankful that he was wearing his cloak.

"My lord," the voices murmured at different times.

"Potter is awake," the cold voice hissed. Harry could hear pleasure in the voice and it made more goosebumps appear on his skin.

Harry's mind began to spin. Harry knew that Voldemort was there. He quickly focused on what Snape had taught him in Occlumency. He had to do it if only to hide all his fears. That would make him too vulnerable and he was already in a very fatal position.

Harry kept his eyes closed regardless. He knew if he saw Voldemort's face before he was ready he would lose concentration. He had to relax his muscles the best he could.

"Move aside." Voldemort spoke calmly but coldly. "Using such childish tricks would disappoint your mentor, Potter."

He heard chuckles in the background and Harry decided that it would be better to open his eyes and cooperate somewhat than be forced to by the Cruciatus Curse. He didn't want to give Voldemort that satisfaction. Besides, his mind was as protected as it was ever going to be at this point.

Opening his eyes slowly, Harry let the breath he had been holding come out. Then Harry turned his head. Voldemort was standing inside the room staring at him with his snake-like expression in a wide grin. His eyes stood out against his unnaturally pale skin. The Death Eaters, three of them, were all knelt over by the door. Thankfully Voldemort was still a good seven or so feet away.

Voldemort twirled his wand with one hand and continued to stare at Harry with such intensity, a combination of hunger and satisfaction, that Harry could just barely keep eye contact.

"You see, Potter, I knew this day would come," Voldemort said, still staring at him. He hadn't blinked once and Harry was beginning to wonder if he could. "You haven't ruined my plans yet and now…I have you."

"You didn't get Dumbledore," Harry said quietly, managing to keep eye contact. "You didn't get into the sanctuary."

Instead of becoming angry or cursing him, Voldemort just laughed coldly. The walls echoed and Harry blinked, hoping that he hadn't winced.

"The sanctuary doesn't concern me Potter. And Dumbledore can only hold me off for so long. The power that he is searching for is useless compared to the power I have."

Voldemort then moved his wandless hand into his robe and Harry watched as he pulled out a ring. Harry tensed and tried not to show shock on his face. The ring looked like the real thing. But it couldn't be…no, Harry had given it to…No, he couldn't think about it. He couldn't let information seep into his mind if he could help it.

"Do you know what this is, Potter?" Voldemort asked.

Harry just stared at it. If he said 'no' Voldemort would know he was lying. He had to remain silent and hopefully that would buy him time.

"While you were sleeping I've obtained the one item that will destroy your precious mentor," he said, twirling his wand as his Death Eaters laughed. "And Hogwarts will be easy to take over," he continued, stepping closer. "My servants have already surrounded the real Hogwarts. I saw through Dumbledore's pathetic attempts at trying to protect it. And now I have the ring and I have Dumbledore cornered. If the fool has returned to Hogwarts he will be there in time to see it crumble! This ring gives me powers you can't imagine, Potter," Voldemort said sneering.

"But before I go to Hogwarts and use this ring to destroy Hogwarts and Dumbledore, I must take care of you. I know that Dumbledore has already altered his memories by now, or at least will have by the time I reach him, so he won't be able to reveal the Ministry's secret even if I capture him. However…perhaps his favorite pupil knows."

"I don't know," Harry said firmly. He was grateful that Dumbledore hadn't revealed that to him.

Voldemort didn't respond at first. He just stared at Harry and his lips were still set in a smile. As Voldemort came closer, Harry felt his scar throb.

"Leave me with Potter," Voldemort said, smirking. "Nox, you wait outside and alert me if anything changes at Hogwarts. For now I'm going to invade Potter's mind."

"Yes my lord," Nox answered.

The Death Eaters rose and then left the room, shutting the door behind them. Harry shouldn't have been surprised that Voldemort was alone with him. Harry was tied up and defenseless…there was no need for any Death Eaters to help Voldemort. And now there was nothing Harry could do; Voldemort was going to probe his mind and in doing that he'd be able to find anything.

Voldemort's lips curled into a wide grin and he stepped closer. Harry's scar reacted. Harry turned his head away and instinctively struggled against the binds as his scar burned intensely. He had to look away so that it would be more difficult for Voldemort to realize that he was in agony.

"There's no use in trying to escape, Potter." Voldemort's hissing voice came from nearby. He sounded amused. "You will soon find that my abilities can get me any information I want. I can delve deep into your mind…into any memory until I find what I want. I can even alter your memories…"

Harry struggled more violently, biting his lip to keep from screaming. He knew Voldemort was right beside him. The pain was so intense Harry had to squeeze his eyes shut, hoping that Voldemort would only think he was trying to block him out. His head was burning and he couldn't think.

Harry felt his head suddenly jerk the other way. He forced his eyes open. Voldemort's face was right above his and the red eyes were scorching into his. And Harry felt he could barely keep his eyes open. His head was going to explode! Voldemort was holding his wand right at Harry's face.

"Now, let's see what you know, Potter…," Voldemort hissed coldly, laughing.

Voldemort's wand came at him and Harry knew the tip had touched his forehead. The whole room turned white and Harry couldn't contain his cry of pain. White-hot knives seemed to gouge into his head and only constant pain existed—time, place and thoughts all vanished. And in all the pain, Harry saw a flash. Eyes…they were bright but intimidating eyes. The most shocking element was that they were a luminous gold. At first they appeared hazel, but from the way they glowed, they didn't appear human. And he heard the cackle…the face that he glimpsed…and he knew he had seen the Black Hag again.

And Harry couldn't remember anything. Was he still there? Had she killed him? Why was he in so much pain? And then the white-hot knives seemed to pull away. And the blurry white began to fade. At the same time Harry heard a hiss of fury and was startled awake. His eyes opened and the room swirled around him. What stood out were the horrible blood-red eyes glaring down at him. The thin white lips were open, seemingly yelling.

And suddenly there were others standing around with their wands pointed.

"My lord!" one exclaimed. "Do you need help?"

Voldemort's expression darkened and Harry felt the fury even as he saw it flicker in the depths of the unnatural crimson eyes.

"_Crucio_!" Voldemort hissed in Parseltongue.

The man screamed and writhed on the ground and the room began to look normal again. Harry didn't realize he was breathing harshly, as if he had been running. The pain…the burning pain in his scar was gone. Voldemort had stepped away from him and now one of his Death Eaters was screaming in agony. Voldemort lifted the curse.

"If you ever dare challenge my power by saying I need your pathetic help, Redolf, I'll kill you!"

"Y-yes…m-my lord," Redolf stuttered.

"My lord," another voice said. And Harry moved his eyes to see Bella standing nearby. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have an update for you."

Voldemort waved his hand to tell her to proceed.

"We have begun to attack Hogwarts, but it seems as though the protections are stronger than we thought."

"Hmm…perhaps the fool made it there in time," Voldemort murmured. Harry was certain he was referring to Dumbledore. "Very well. I will have to go myself eventually, as it should be. I want to kill Dumbledore myself. Continue to keep it surrounded and make it as weak as possible. I will take care of his precious student."

Bella's eyes landed on Harry and her lips curled upward. "I'm pleased you have him alive, my lord, to do with as you wish."

"Not quite," Voldemort hissed, turning his eyes on Harry. His thin lips were pulled in a straight line. And Harry's scar burned as he felt Voldemort's anger. "It seems as though a strong power is protecting him. I could barely get inside his mind, though whether it's coming from the boy or if it's Dumbledore's doing I have yet to find out. But I will get through."

"Of course, my liege," Bella said, bowing.

Then she left and the Death Eater Nox left with her. He was probably going back to his post outside the door. The room was once again quiet and Harry blinked several times. Something had happened…he was protected. Voldemort couldn't get into his mind. Perhaps…

The image of the Black Hag flashed in his mind again and he wondered if what he had seen was her magic. Maybe she was protecting Harry, at least the memories that were about her. That was why she took so long, after Harry relayed his plan to her and then she vanished. She was probably taking precautious, but what she did exactly Harry wasn't sure. He was just grateful that for the time being Voldemort didn't know about the ring.

Once again Harry was left in the room with Voldemort alone. He felt relieved that his mind was protected, but he had no doubt Voldemort would try anything to get into his mind. And he knew about Voldemort's reputation for being cruel and using any tactics—painful ones. And he was determined to get into Harry's mind. Still…hopefully that meant he wouldn't kill Harry until he got through, which bought some time for him. Not that Harry had any delusions about Dumbledore coming to rescue him before Voldemort could murder him or at least torture him.

Voldemort turned around and his red eyes bore through him. Harry pushed thoughts of Aberforth and Hogwarts away so that Voldemort wouldn't detect what he was thinking about.

"I will find a way into your mind, Potter," Voldemort hissed as he stood over him.

Harry's scar burned with such intensity that Harry had to look away. He felt the tip of Voldemort's wand at his head again and same blinding white pain scorched through his head. Again, Voldemort hissed with fury at not being able to get into his mind. Harry was prepared for the Cruiciatus curse. He waited, but it never came. Slowly, he turned his head and saw Voldemort pacing back and forth slowly.

Suddenly, Voldemort wheeled around and sneered at him. "I know just the thing, Potter. First, though," he said raising his wand, "crucio!"

Harry tried to hold back his screams but it was no use. His body reacted almost instinctively. Once Voldemort lifted the curse, Harry's muscles relaxed a bit.

Without a word, Voldemort left Harry alone and confused. Obviously, Voldemort had something planned for Harry and that unnerved him. He struggled hard against the constraints to no avail.

_How am I going to escape? I've got to reach Dumbledore somehow! _

_**XXXXXXXXXXX**_

_Back at Hogwarts…_

"Where the bloody hell is Dumbledore?" Ron bellowed. "We're sitting here worried out of our bloody minds about Harry and nobody's telling us anything!"

"Calm down, Ron! Throwing a tantrum isn't going to solve anything," Hermione exclaimed.

The two of them were seated in the Gryffindor common room with Ginny, Neville, Dean, Fred and George. All the aurors and their families, as well as Ministry members who hadn't been attacked or killed were all at Hogwarts.

"Harry," Ginny whispered. "What's going to happen to him? What if V-Voldemort found him?"

"Don't worry, he's a tough chap," George said, patting her back.

"And what's going to happen to us?" Neville asked. "I mean, you heard those bangs. I think we're being attacked! And the aurors and teachers are all running around like mad trying to get more protections up. For all we know, we could be in more danger than Harry is right now."

"I don't understand it…I thought Hogwarts would be safe, especially with Dumbledore's plan. It was so brilliant," Hermione whispered.

Suddenly, the common room door swung open and Ron and Hermione jumped to their feet. A man dressed in rather old-looking dark blue robes came waltzing in. At first it appeared to be Dumbledore but the man's beard was not quite as long. And he looked more sullen.

"I am sorry to intrude, but I was told to relay some information to you all. I know you're all worried about Harry and I've come to give you peace of mind. My name is Aberforth Dumbledore."

Ron and Hermione exchanged glances.

"Is Harry ok?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, I just spoke with him about an hour ago."

The whole group of them breathed out sighs of relief and Ginny wept.

"Listen, there isn't much time. Harry told me that Voldemort knows about Dumbledore's plan to have this school disguised while Beauxbatons is disguised as Hogwarts. However, I have given an item to the professors and aurors, which they are using to enhance the protections around this school. It will buy us time so the death eaters can't get in. Harry was going to go find Dumbledore to let him know he has to come back."

"How did Harry escape from the muggle world?" Ron asked.

"No time for that, I'm afraid. I have something to give Dumbledore from Harry that could in fact give us a great advantage. I wanted you to know though that Harry is safe and once Dumbledore returns everything—"

"Aberforth!"

An auror hurried inside with wide eyes. "Dumbledore's back!"

"I can't believe it!" Ron exclaimed with excitement. "This is the best news ever!"

"Is Harry with him?" Ginny asked, standing.

The auror stared at them confused. "No, Dumbledore was only with the aurors he took to the sanctuary. Harry Potter wasn't among them."

Aberforth's expression turned grave. "I must see Dumbledore."

He followed the other auror out, but not before Ron and Hermione dashed out behind them. Ginny and the others were left in the common room. They all arrived in the Great Hall where the aurors and professors were all gathered in a meeting. There was Dumbledore looking graver than them all, standing at one end of the table.

"I am afraid I have some grave news," Dumbledore said, as his eyes landed on Ron and Hermione. "Voldemort has captured Harry."

Hermione covered her mouth as a loud gasp escaped. Ron's eyes practically bugged out of his head and his entire face paled.

"No…Harry," Hermione whispered between sobs.

"I'm afraid that not only will Voldemort get Harry, but he apparently knows of Hogwart's disguise."

"Fear not, brother," Aberforth spoke up.

All eyes turned to him and Dumbledore nodded.

"I just saw Potter not one hour ago and he gave me something that will give us all hope."

Hermione wiped at her eyes and Ron stared down at the ground, unable to look up or utter a sound.

"Voldemort may have him right now, but not all is lost. Harry gave me an item that he retrieved from Voldemort when he posed as a death eater to escape the muggle world. It was Salazar's Pearl."

Aurors whispered in awe.

"Right now Minerva is using it to enhance all the protections around the school, which is why the death eaters have been unable to get inside. I assume brother that you used our secret passage," Aberforth said, smiling slightly. "And one more thing Harry gave me for our survival Dumbledore, which he instructed me to give to you."

Wordlessly, Aberforth approached Dumbledore and handed him the ring. Dumbledore's normally unreadable expression turned to one of surprise. His eyes widened in the slightest as he held up the ring to the light.

"What is that Dumbledore?" Cornelius Fudge asked.

"I don't believe it. Harry has never failed to amaze me," Dumbledore said. "This is the Silverback Tyrants ring – a ring that was forged in the days of Merlin himself. It contains the heart of a Silverback Tyrant, one of the most lethal and most powerful creatures ever to be in existence. This is supposedly from the last tyrant. This ring is something that Voldemort no doubt was after. I had only heard of this back in my days at school."

Dumbledore lowered his hand. "You all know of our meeting with Rita Skeeter before she disappeared. And she mentioned that she overheard a death eater say the 'Black Hag'. The Black Hag is an ancient being who feeds off magical items to keep her immortality. She is neither witch nor demon – and I believe one of the last of her kind. She has been in hiding and not much is known about her. Only one man survived an encounter with her – Salazar Slytherin. The only reason we know of the Black Hag is because of Salazar.

"And I know that Tom Riddle when he was here discovered Salazar's journal and no doubt kept it for himself. As I can't read parseltongue, I was unable to translate quite a bit of it. It must have had more information on the Black Hag and where this particular ring might be."

"Excuse me Dumbledore, but where exactly does this Black Hag come from and how does she have such powerful items?" Fudge asked.

"It's not proven, Cornelius, but it's said that back in the days of the Silverback Tyrants, there were three infamous Black Hags who worshipped them. Or rather there were hideous looking women who appeared to be able to do some magic without a wand and seemed to live for over hundreds of years. It's said that the Black Hags came from the same world as the Silverback Tyrants. It's believed that there is actually a separate world connected to our own, but out of our reach. That is where the Silverback Tyrants supposedly came from."

"So why is the Black Hag here and not going back to this world?" one auror asked.

"Good question, Radolph. I assume she probably can't get back for whatever reason. Only Merlin was said to know how to get to that world because he himself had a battle with a Silverback Tyrant and it's actually how he became so powerful. Of course, Merlin vanished and no one knows where he is, but some say he died secretly to protect his knowledge of how to get to that world," Dumbledore explained.

"What can the ring do?" Fudge asked.

"It can double the wearer's power," Dumbledore said. "No doubt Voldemort wanted to use it to find out the secret that the Ministry has long been protecting."

"Yes, and what secret is that? And why am I not aware of such a thing?" Fudge questioned.

"Considering your term is ending soon and Scrimageour will take your place there's no need for your to know now," Auror Moselby said.

Fudge glared at her. "Yes, if we survive this."

"Don't concern yourself Fudge, there are only a select few in the Ministry, usually people as old as myself, who made an oath back when the Ministry was still relatively new that once this secret was discovered it would go with us to our graves. And now I am one of three left from that oath. My brother Aberforth knows and Auror Moody."

Moody gave a rather gruff smirk toward Fudge but otherwise remained silent.

"Now lets get back to what we're going to do," Auror Moselby said.

"Of course, Fyona. Now that we have the ring it can strengthen our protections even more and I can also enhance my own power if Voldemort gets inside and I need to battle him. However, I fear now that Voldemort has Harry he's not going to come to Hogwarts. And sooner or later Voldemort is going to find out that Harry found the ring and brought it here, which means that it buys us some time while he interrogates him."

Hermione and Ron winced. They knew that entailed torture, as did they all. It suddenly became silent.

"Fear not, everyone. I have a suspicion that Harry received help from the Black Hag, who Voldemort wanted to track down in the first place, through Rita Skeeter's vital information, and now we find out why. It was for this ring, which is just a means to an end. This is a good sign," he said, as his eyes twinkled at Ron and Hermione. "In order for her to help, that must mean Harry and the Black Hag have some sort of agreement. The Black Hag would not risk Harry's well-being or the opportunity for Voldemort to find out that she's involved, so I'm sure she's protecting him."

"So he won't be tortured?" Fudge asked.

"Unfortunately, Harry still could be tortured, but with the Black Hag's help his mind will be protected. If Voldemort can't get the information he wants out of Harry, he knows that torture will be pointless because Harry wouldn't tell him anything. It doesn't mean he won't try," Dumbledore said gravely. "I'm positive though that the Black Hag wouldn't leave Harry there once she realizes he's been captured. I'm sure she will summon him to her for both of their protection eventually. I have no doubt Harry will be ok. He's survived many impossible obstacles before, including being trapped in the muggle world and he has never failed to impress me." Dumbledore smiled slightly.

Everyone in the room seemed to relax a bit.

"For now we must all concentrate on not letting Voldemort inside. At least Voldemort doesn't have this ring. And as long as he doesn't find out the secret we've been protecting he won't become too much for us to handle. It is important that we finish the spell we started at the sanctuary."

"Yes, what is it that you're actually doing there," Fudge said. "I don't understand how that spell will stop V-Voldemort."

Dumbledore's eyes gleamed with intense power. "You see, this sanctuary is considered a sanctuary because Merlin himself taught his first students magic. And on that spot he left an amulet that he created to protect his students and their location while they were secretly practicing magic. Back in Merlin's time they didn't have wands like we do and of course it was forbidden to do anything unexplainable like magic without being killed out of fear. So they had to do it in secret.

"There is still powerful energy in that spot. In fact, Merlin actually planned it that way. There are five areas all around England in which he left these amulets with powerful incantations performed by him along with his students. In order to keep this amulet active even after death, Merlin used his blood, which had been infected by a Silverback Tyrant. It's how he ended up dying eventually. Yet ironically the poison in the Silverback Tyrant made it so that his spells held even after his death, which is of course unheard of nowadays," Dumbledore explained.

Hermione was listening with utmost interest like the rest, but Ron stifled a yawn.

"Now it's taken me some years after studying what little documents we have on Merlin, including his journal which was thankfully discovered and deciphered, I have theorized that should we cast the strongest protection charms known to us in each of these locations – called the Heart of the wizard world because of all the powerful magic left behind by Merlin – then we can create sanctuaries. And these sanctuaries will become vital in times like these so people have a place to run to where they can be much more protected than hiding in their homes or in random places that can easily be penetrated.

"Not only that, but now with this ring that Harry has given us, if we complete the charms in each of these 5 sanctuaries, we may even be able to summon a protection fog – a very powerful charm – that can spread across this whole city, and maybe farther, if we have enough aurors helping. It will bide us time and prevent Voldemort from finding us or anybody else in the Order who is in hiding right now."

"Yes, these sanctuaries will be good, but what good will they do us right now with V-Voldemort and all of his followers on the loose? Not to mention, they've surrounded us and are trying to get inside," Fudge said.

Dumbledore inhaled deeply. "I know you are skeptical Cornelius. But there is a secret way out of this school. It's how I entered to come back inside without the Death Eaters' awareness. These sanctuaries are in case they start breaking in. Then we must move everybody to the sanctuary that I was just at. We finished the protections thankfully just before Voldemort arrived. It's a Plan B in case anything goes wrong.

"Unfortunately, nobody has yet to locate the fifth and last sanctuary. I suspect it's where Merlin's burial place is. I no doubt believe he hid himself when he knew he was dying in order to protect that sanctuary and the secret the Order has protected as well."

"I would be a lot less confused if you actually told me what was being so highly protected! Even Merlin apparently protects it in death and yet you cannot reveal it?" Fudge exclaimed.

"I'm afraid not Cornelius. As long as only a select few know about it, the less likely Voldemort will ever come to know about it. Now, we must focus on utilizing the power of this ring to strength the protections on this school. Should they break in, everyone will be shown through the secret passage into the sanctuary and I will hold the Death Eaters at bay with this," Dumbledore said, gesturing toward the ring on his finger. "Let's be prepared for anything. We must also keep putting protections up to make sure they're held off."

"And what about Harry? Shouldn't we go rescue him?" Ron asked.

Dumbledore's eyes dimmed. "It would be much too dangerous, Ron. But don't worry, I have a feeling Harry will be all right."

Ron and Hermione exchanged glances but didn't utter a sound. They obviously didn't like the idea of leaving Harry to fend for himself, but there was nothing they could do.

**XXXXXXXX**

Harry struggled hard against the restraints to no avail. He desperately needed to find a way to escape before Voldemort came back. He realized that even if he could break out of the bonds, Voldemort had his wand somewhere probably hidden. It seemed hopeless. Even if the Hag was protecting his mind, there was no way she was coming to come to his rescue.

There were footsteps coming down the hallway and Harry's heart thumped loudly in his chest. The door creaked open and he was expecting red eyes to be gleaming at him, but instead it was a death eater. It was a big burley man with a black beard and such dark brown eyes that they appeared black. There was a scar across his cheek to his lip and a tattoo of a snake on his neck.

"Time to go Potter," the man said gruffly, whipping out his wand.

All of a sudden Harry's body levitated off the table, but the restraints tightened around his body so he couldn't move. Harry's throat had constricted, but he tried his best not to show his fear. He knew that whatever was in store for him was not good.

He was taken into another room, a larger room with a chair seated in the middle of the room. The room, like the one he had been in before, had only one exit – the door to the room. Swallowing, he could only watch as he was levitated toward the chair. The death eater said a spell gruffly and Harry's body was dropped into the chair. He groaned as his muscles ached from the contact. The ropes that restricted his body tied to both arms of the chair so he was bound tightly to the chair. The death eater sneered at him then walked away to stand guard by the door.

Harry stared around the room and noticed there was a fireplace up against the left wall. It looked dusty and unused, and there was a mantel above it covered with dust. Besides that, there was nothing else in the room. It was made of a gray cement and appeared rather old. Harry assumed they were in some part of the house somewhere underground. It was the same place that Harry had been to when disguised as Mulciber. There was probably hidden rooms in the house that Voldemort used to hide the bodies of the people he killed…

The door opened and two more death eaters entered the room. They were wearing masks, which made Harry even more nervous. He had to instantly hide his fear as Voldemort appeared behind them. To Harry's relief Voldemort didn't seem to have his wand out. Perhaps that bought Harry some time.

"The boy is ready my Lord," the gruff death eater said.

Voldemort sneered. "Very good. Give the boy the potion."

The two death eaters who had entered approached Harry instantly. His whole body tensed as he saw them pull out a vial. He clamped his mouth shut and fought against the restraints. One of the death eaters held his jaw tightly to try and pry his mouth open while the other one prepared to pour the potion down his throat.

"That won't help Potter," Voldemort said, whipping out his wand.

Harry's eyes widened and tried to clamp his lips together even harder, but with one spell he felt his jaw unhinge against his will. His mouth opened and the bitter potion was poured down his throat. Harry's body went rigid and he thought for sure he'd be feeling intense pain. To his shock, he was still aware of everything and there was no pain, but he couldn't move. It was like he was paralyzed with his eyes staring straight ahead and his body rigid.

"Leave now," Voldemort ordered.

The death eaters all bowed and left the room until Harry was alone with Voldemort again.

"Now Potter," Voldemort hissed pleasurably, "under Veritaserum you will tell me what I need to know. You are fortunate that torturing you would do no good for me since the information in your mind is protected. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Harry said in a monotone voice.

The word came without his decision to say it. He was suddenly panicking. He was somehow aware of everything under Veritaserum, but he still felt like he had no control. Voldemort would find out everything and once he found out Harry had given the real ring to Dumbledore, he would kill Harry instantly!

"Tell me Potter," Voldmeort hissed. "Tell me, is Dumbledore the one protecting your mind?"

"No," Harry answered instantly.

"No?" Voldemort asked coldly. He seemed surprised. Harry heard his deep inhale. "Then who is protecting you?"

Harry panicked instantly. _No, he can't find out!_

And yet…no words came out. Harry sat there emotionlessly and didn't answer the direct question. He could feel Voldemort's fury rising.

"You won't tell me who's protecting you even under Veritaserum?" Voldemort hissed.

He was much closer now; Harry could feel his scar burning. Harry didn't say a word. He was still protected even under Veritaserum. The Black Hag definitely had strong magic. Of course she had hundreds and hundreds of years to accumulate magic. She couldn't use a wand and still would be not match for Voldemort in a duel, but she had her own special abilities. And this was one of them. She was protecting his mind even under the effects of Veritaserum. So Harry could obviously answer some questions, but none that would endanger the Black Hag.

"Whoever is protecting you must be powerful," Voldemort hissed. "Tell me, Potter, what did you do with that item I gave you as Mulciber?"

"I gave it to Aberforth to help protect Hogwarts," Harry answered against his will.

"Aberforth? Dumbledore's worthless brother who supposedly died in the first war?" Voldemort hissed. "Interesting…he's still alive. I'll bet Dumbledore has been using him as a spy. That fool! Even so, that item I gave you won't be able to increase the protections for long. It's a powerful source of magic that Salazaar stole from the Merpeople long ago, but it's limited. It cannot last very long so soon Hogwarts will be mine!"

Voldemort hissed the last sentence right by Harry's ear. Harry couldn't move and he felt Voldemort moving next to him. Voldemort couldn't torture him while under the effects of Veritaserum because although Harry would feel the pain he wouldn't be able to scream. And Voldemort no doubt wanted to hear him scream.

"Let's see if you're any use to me at all, Potter. What is the Order hiding from me? What is this special secret that they're all willing to die for?"

"I don't know," Harry replied. His eyes stayed focused ahead even as he saw Voldemort close to him, twirling his wand as if debating whether or not to kill him.

Harry's heart sank. If Voldemort found no use for him and couldn't get into his mind, he would most definitely find no use for him alive. And he could so easily kill him while he was under Vertaserum and unable to move or fight back.

"You don't know?" Voldemort hissed quietly. It was the same tone of voice he had during his fourth year well Voldemort had forced him to duel. "Do you know what Dumbledore is planning to do with the sanctuary?"

"No," Harry answered.

Voldemort's lips curled upward. "Then you are useless to me, Potter."

Voldemort raised his wand at him and Harry's mind went into a frenzy. He still couldn't move a muscle let alone blink! To his shock, however, Voldemort lowered his wand.

"Whoever is protecting you cannot protect you forever, Potter. Until I decide what to do with you, you can rot here."

Voldemort turned around and swept out of the room without another look back. Harry's body was still under the effects of the truth serum so he couldn't budge. He was still stunned that Voldemort left him alive when it was so easy to just kill him. Obviously, Voldemort deemed him useful for something. Maybe as bait for Dumbledore. There was a reason, but Harry was just grateful he was still alive.

The door opened and Harry's heart skipped a beat. A death eater came in twirling his wand. He closed the door behind him and sneered.

"Still under the potion's effects, Potter? Pity. It's such a shame since…I have your wand," he said, taking out another wand from his pocket.

Harry could sense that it was in fact his wand. The death eater was taunting him with it, although he was pretty sure the death eater couldn't have known he was aware of everything.

"Hmmm, you don't look very battered. Master must have gone easy on you," he said.

The man approached him and without warning hit him across the face. Harry felt the burning pain and the aching afterward, but he was unable to utter a sound.

"Humph, how boring," the death eater muttered. "Guess you won't be needing this."

He sneered and tossed Harry's wand into the unused fireplace. It vanished among the old ashes and cobwebs. The death eater wheeled around and left the room. Harry waited in silence unable to do anything. Suddenly, he could slowly move his fingertips and soon his arms. The rush of feeling came back to him and he groaned in pain at his sore jaw. Harry's head whipped toward the left where his wand had been thrown in. If he could summon his wand to him, or somehow reach it he could escape!

Harry concentrated hard on thinking of a spell to loosen his binds. He knew that wandless magic was possible at one point back during Merlin's time when there were no wands. Still, it seemed his wand was too far away. Harry struggled violently against the restraints, trying to loosen them or move the chair.

He struggled and struggled, all the while attempting to move the chair toward the left. Suddenly, his wrist broke free and Harry was stunned. He gasped quietly and fought to free his whole arm. Once his arm was free, he untangled himself from the ropes, not believing that he was actually escaping! He nearly tripped over the ropes as he ran toward the fireplace where his wand was. He pushed the cobwebs and ashes out of the way and grabbed his wand.

Now he had to find a way out. Harry looked around the room. There were no windows in the room. The only way out was through the front door. Unless…unless he could use a spell to create a secret passage through one of the walls. Of course, he had never done such a powerful spell before.

Inhaling deeply, Harry wondered what he should do. He probably didn't have much time until someone came to check on him. Unless…perhaps it was possible for him to apparate. Maybe Voldemort hadn't thought to put an anti-apparating spell in the room, or the house, because he didn't think Harry would escape. Harry closed his eyes and concentrated, picturing the last place he had been at the sanctuary. Then he apparated.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Author's Note: Hey guys, thanks for being sooooooo incredibly patient! I know this has taken FOREVER to update and I'm truly sorry about that! Life became hectic once college took over and now I'm in grad school and, wouldn't you know it, it's even more hectic! But I'm slowly but surely finishing the couple of stories that I left incomplete. I already have the rest of this story planned out, so the next chapter shouldn't take very long to get out. There should only be one chapter left now and I won't make you guys wait long this time! :-)

**To Reviewers: **

**WolfWhispers: **So sorry it was put on another hiatus! I'm back to finishing it now and I won't stop until it's complete! And there won't be another hiatus because there's only one chapter left! Hope you haven't given up on this story, lol! And hopefully you will enjoy the rest of it!

**Jynx101**: hey! So sorry about not updating in FOREVER! Thanks for reviewing! Hopefully you haven't given up hope that I would update this, lol! But if you have, I completely understand. I'll just be happy once I complete this story. And I'm sorry that I'm not really posting estimation dates on my profile for when I'm updating, but the last chapter should be up shortly!

**Werewolfsong:** Thanks so much for that compliment! I'm so glad you really like it! I know it's hard to keep people interested in suspenseful stories without any romance these days, lol! I'm very glad you like it! I'm REALLY sorry about taking forever in updating it! You might have long forgotten this story, but if you ever do come back to it someday at least it will be complete by then. :-) The last chapter should be up shortly!

**Duzen Broken DreamZ****:** Yay! I'm glad you like this! That makes me happy! I'm really, very, truly sorry that this was on hiatus for so long! But I'm definitely going to finish it very soon! So hopefully you haven't completely forgotten about this! Lol! And I do hope you'll enjoy the last chapter! :-)

**Rasul:** Thanks a bunch! I'm really glad that you like this story so far! Hopefully you'll enjoy the ending too (if you haven't given up on this yet, lol!). I will update this story shortly!

**Anytha5:** Awww, thanks a lot! I'm very glad you're enjoying this! And so sorry that it wasn't updated soon at all! It took forever-and-a-half to update, but it's finally off hiatus and I'm back to finishing my stories. I finally found some time despite school and work which have consumed my life, but I promise I will post the last chapter shortly!


	12. The Secret

**Metamorphosis **

**Chapter 11: The Secret **

When Harry opened his eyes, he realized that he was standing among the trees near the same spot where Voldemort had captured him. He couldn't believe it – he had actually escaped Voldemort's clutches! Somehow, it seemed too easy to him. The death eater had brought his wand into the room and then the restraints somehow loosened. They couldn't have planned him to escape, could they? Voldemort certainly didn't want that.

The hairs prickled on his neck and he looked around uncertainly. There was nobody there and yet he felt on edge. Harry realized that he couldn't get safely into Hogwarts while death eaters were trying to get in. He couldn't use Aberforth's secret passage either without the diamond-shaped pendant he used. Any minute they would realize Harry had escaped. Not knowing where else to go, Harry headed across the way to the sanctuary, which was unguarded and deserted now. When he got there, it didn't appear to be anything special. It was a flat open area at least ten feet wide and across in a circular pattern.

Harry's shoulders sagged with disappointment until he walked toward the other side where a bush was and pushed passed it. There was a cavern behind it, hidden from plain view. Harry ducked down into it and noticed there were steps leading underground. He came to a boulder, which would have seemed like a dead end if he hadn't noticed a small crevice in the stone wall. He put his fingers inside. His index finger hit something smooth. Nothing happened. Harry frowned. Perhaps Dumbledore had been protecting this place, but he wondered if Dumbledore had any idea how to get inside or even what was behind it.

Harry shivered as the hairs on his neck stood up again. He rubbed his arms and turned around to look up the small stone steps. No one was there. He was just paranoid. Even if the death eaters apparated to the area, somehow able to track him, they wouldn't easily find the cavern. And so far he hadn't heard a sound. He gazed back at the boulder and adjusted his glasses. There had to be a way in. For a fleeting moment, he wondered if he should try going to the Ministry to figure out what secret they were keeping that Voldemort wanted to know. Then he realized it was too dangerous going there also.

_Besides, if this is here and Dumbledore was protecting it, there has to be something important inside. _

Harry's curiosity grew. He had to know what Voldemort was after – what he wanted so bad that Dumbledore was making sure he'd never find out. There might be a clue to the secret behind the wall. Harry stared at the door. The crevice was there for a reason. Searching all around Harry could find no other crevices in the walls. He raised his wand in an attempt to try to break it by force and an idea struck him. He went over to the crevice and slipped his wand inside. He heard a click as the wand touched the smooth object, but the door didn't open. He tried "alahomora" to no avail. Something was missing.

Sighing in frustration, Harry moved his hands along the boulder. He remembered how he got into the Black Hag's hideout and wondered if there was a hidden mechanism somewhere in the wall. He levitated himself up to the top and noticed a small hole in the top of the boulder, which he would've missed had his pinky not run over it. He tried to fit his finger in but it was too big. So he put the tip of his wand in it. There was another click and suddenly a piece on the center of the boulder moved. He dropped down to see that a circular hole appeared, having been hidden by the piece of the boulder covering it due to a hidden mechanism. Staring at the hole, he realized the shape of it was familiar.

Suddenly, his eyes widened and he unclasped his robe. He glanced down and saw to his astonishment that he was still wearing the Shaman's amulet that he got from the Black Hag – the one he used to get a vision of the ring. He had completely forgotten he still had it. Thankfully the death eaters had only taken his wand and didn't think to check the rest of him.

He took the amulet off and reached up toward the hole to set it inside. It fit perfectly, although he wasn't sure if there was a specific amulet that would open it. Still, Harry put his wand in the crevice again and this time as it clicked and boulder moved aside allowing an opening to appear. Harry's excitement rose as he ventured into the cavern. He glanced behind once before he slipped through the opening.

Inside the cave was a lot bigger than it appeared from the outside, probably due to it being underground. The place he came out into was a very large, spacious room that had a table in the center of it and symbols etched into the table. There were no chairs, however. There didn't appear to be anything special to guard at first glance, but attached to the room was a passage that led to another room. This room was smaller, but there were wooden boards with bullseyes painted on them. There were scorch marks as if some of them were burned. There were more symbols drawn into the floor and a shelf in the room.

Harry immediately went over to the shelf and found very old tattered books. A couple of them were history books talking about wars with other nations and political things going on. They didn't interest him much. However on the very top shelf was a old, smaller book that looked like a journal. Upon opening it, Harry realized it was a journal. And not just any journal. Harry stared at the name scrawled on the first page: _**Merlin. **_It was Merlin the Great's journal. He could scarcely believe it. It must have been his practice area, or one of them, that he used to teach his students.

Opening it up, Harry read several of the entries. He wasn't sure how much time had passed. And then Harry's eyes stopped on a particular passage. It read:

_My battle with a beast turned out grave. I call it the Silverback Tyrant for its horrendously huge form and its silver spikes on its back. I defeated the creature though not without consequences. The creature bit me and the wound looks as though it's poisoned. And I feel it too. It's not painful, but I know that one day it will take my life. _

Harry read on until he found something that made his heart nearly stop. The passage read:

_Something completely unexpected happened today. I followed the blood trails of the beast that I had wounded greatly. I thought for sure I had killed it, but it must have pretended to be dead while it gained some strength – intelligent creature! However, upon following it I discovered something dangerous…something that no one must know. I will not reveal the location of where this took place for fear it could fall into the wrong hands. _

_The beast, wounded thought it was, began to glow! The silver spikes on its back were glowing anyway. And as it did, before my very eyes, a portal seemed to open out of thin air! It was the most spectacular magic I have ever witnessed in my life – more powerful than even I could imagine. This portal I believe opened to this beast's world. Though I was scared, I was also intrigued. Knowing that I would eventually die due to the poison, I took a risk. I followed that beast into the portal before it closed. I cannot even express what I have seen. _

_I think it's been five days, or maybe a week, since I have been in this strange new world. I have seen things that I never knew existed – powers that are far beyond any normal comprehension. I have studied these beasts from afar. The one that I thought was killed healed itself by eating strange blue plants. The plant almost resembled a flower, only it glows in the moonlight and there are two heads on each flower bud. Sometimes I swear it moves as if it has a mind of its own! _

_But that's not the only thing I've witnessed here. But I cannot say anymore for fear that someone will read this journal and want to explore this world only to harness what powers they can! I fear that if a person finds this place, they could acquire powers beyond their control or beyond anything in our world and potentially become invincible!_

Harry stared at the word 'invincible' and suddenly everything was so clear. Dumbledore and the Order had been protecting Merlin's secret – the fact that somehow they found out about Silverback Tyrants, maybe through the Black Hag or one of her fellow sisters from years ago. Somehow Voldemort knew of the Silverback Tyrants and their powers and Harry guessed that Salazar's journal revealed it through his meeting with a Black Hag. Did that mean the Black Hag came from the same world as the Silverback Tyrants? Or perhaps a different world? How many worlds were there around them and how could a person figure out how to get in and out?

Harry's mind was spinning. He turned back to the journal and read on:

_I have discovered something here that can potentially increase someone's power! I have seen how it feeds the tyrants and wonder if that is the source of their power! If it is, this surely must stay a secret. These are interesting beasts, but I fear I'm growing weaker. I may not have much time left, but in the course of my studying them – I have no idea how long I've vanished from my world – I have learned that their bite is powerful as well as poisonous! I watched them kill a hairy beast, one smaller than them, and yet they didn't eat it. I went over to the animal and examined it, realizing that their bite caused the blood in the animal to glow strangely for a second. I did a simple spell on the animal – a shield. I waited a few days once the animal was for sure dead, after its heart stopped beating completely. And my shield was still working! That means that I can use my infected blood with my spells and they will last even after my death! This is an unimaginable discovery! For when a wizard dies so does their spell. _

Harry stopped reading and remembered about Slughorn telling him of the fish that his mother gave him. And how that fish suddenly vanished after her death. He was so entranced by the book that he just kept reading, not even realizing how much time had passed. He skimmed ahead to the next couple pages:

_I have decided to try to get back into the world using a spell I created – it's a locating spell and I will concentrate on my home. By Saturn! My spell worked just as I had hoped! Yes, I could create a portal using my amulet that I thankfully carry with me around my neck at all times for protection. I had to drip a little bit of my infected blood on the amulet to make it work, but it has opened up a portal. _

_Now that I am back home again – apparently 8 months later; time must move slower or differently in that world – I realize I have a dangerous secret. And with this amulet anybody, even after my death, can access this world. However, I have already decided what I'll do. First, I will go back to every dueling place I had with my students and put a protecting spell around the area, so that they can practice magic without being caught or attacked even when I'm gone. I will have to forge a few other amulets for this, which will take a toll on my weakening body…._

_I have finished all the amulets and have placed them in all the areas, including the area where I battled the Silverback Tyrant. No doubt there are remnants of the beast's powers there and I must protect that. And now, my final resting place…I have chosen the place where the beast summoned its own portal. It makes me wonder how the beast even came to our world - if it was by accident or not. This place will be the place that I die. And with my death, I will create a protection around this area as well and so long as no one can find my body, which will always have traces of the Silverback Tyrant in it, the portal will remain closed._

_I fear other wizards would be able to figure out how to access the portal with my body. My magic is weak and therefore I cannot protect this area as well. My only hope is that no one will find it and that this hidden world will remain a secret forever. _

Harry closed the journal in awe. He rubbed the back of his neck to calm the goosebumps that had risen on his skin. That had to be the secret that Dumbledore didn't want Voldemort to know – the world of the Silverback Tyrants. It's where Merlin claimed there were untold powers – powerful beyond their comprehension. Even though it had been generations – hundreds of years – after Merlin's time and evolution took place with more and more wizards, it was possible that this hidden world still harnessed powers that were unmatched in their world.

If Voldemort ever figured out how to get there and gain powers and then come back to their world…he would be unstoppable.

_But how do I stop him? This journal didn't say where the location of Merlin's body was. Still…if Voldemort ever gets a hold of this journal, or Dumbledore even, there's still a risk of him finding out. Then again, Merlin said he put a protection spell, so maybe it's protected enough. _

Harry bit his lip and looked down at the journal. An idea was forming rapidly in his mind – a very dangerous one. He could use his power of premonition to force a premonition of where the location was that Merlin was protecting. However, there was a risk that Voldemort was having his death eaters trailing him, or trying to find him. What if they spotted him and followed him to the area? The whole secret would be in jeopardy! But then again….Voldemort already knew a lot about the Silverback Tyrants. Maybe he already knew that they came from a different world.

If Harry went to the place, perhaps there was a way he could destroy Merlin's ability to open the portal and close it forever. Merlin wrote in his journal that because he was infected by the tyrant, he was able to enter the world. And the way he could get back had to be with more than just the infection, but rather a burst of power from his amulet as well since the tyrants were obviously much more powerful than him. Still…that meant that in order to destroy the portal, Harry would not only have to break Merlin's protection spell and amulet, but possibly have to destroy his body as well.

It felt wrong to do that to such a great sorcerer, but did he really have a choice? He had to make sure that the tyrant's world was closed off forever, because even if Voldemort couldn't get to it now, maybe in 50 or more years he would find a way. Harry had to destroy any access to the portal once and for all.

_That's probably what Merlin would want anyway. And maybe even what Dumbledore would want. I doubt Dumbledore knows where this location of the portal is and so without knowing it, he can't do anything to prevent Voldemort from finding it. And it's possible that Voldemort could learn about it somehow. Maybe Salazar's journal even holds clues as to who Voldemort can get that information from. It's too risky leaving that portal there, wherever it is. Eventually, someone will find it and eventually someone will get in, even if it's hundreds of years from now. I have to stop it!_

Harry held the journal close to him and closed his eyes. He concentrated as hard as he could to force a premonition of the location. For several minutes he stood there deep in concentration. Nothing was happening. Harry released the breath he was holding and glanced down at the journal. Maybe he wasn't powerful enough, or maybe…

Harry's eyes widened. He used the talisman to get a premonition of the Silverback Tyrants. Perhaps he could use the talisman while holding the journal to get a premonition. Harry hurried back toward the entrance where he left the talisman. He felt a cold wind sweep over him and case the hairs on his neck to rise again, but he ignored it. He grabbed the talisman and instantly the door to the cavern shut again. Harry put the talisman back around his neck and gripped the journal tightly. He sat down on the cold cement floor, knowing it could take a while to get the premonition. All the while, he ignored the cold chill that swept up his spine.

**XXXXXXXX**

"Damnit! You'd think those Death Eaters would give up soon!" Mad-Eye Moody growled.

"The protections are still holding," Fudge said. "That's good, right? They can't break in as long as we have the ring."

"Unfortunately, the ring can only do so much. It is a powerful item that increases the powers of the wearer, but it hardly makes one invincible," Dumbledore said, staring down at the ring. "However…with its power, I'll bet I can strength the sanctuaries twice what they were."

"Dumbledore, it isn't safe to leave," McGonagall said, looking concerned.

"Don't worry, Minerva, you're all in good hands. Our protections are holding strong. If I make it to the sanctuary that I was at before where Voldemort came before we could finish the protections on it, then I believe we will strength not only that sanctuary, but all the sanctuaries Merlin had built. In doing so, I believe I can use the ring's ability to tap into the remnants of power there and create a magical fog that will sweep over the land, hopefully for many miles and make it difficult for the Death Eaters to see. Once they are blind, it will be even harder for them to penetrate our walls."

"That's a good idea," Mad-Eye said gruffly. "I'll go with you. I think Fudge should stay here though."

"Yes, that's a good idea," Fudge said, sitting down rather quickly.

"Indeed, Minerva, once that is complete I can use the ring's ability to surround the death eaters and trap them. It will require some assistance, however, and time, but I believe this can be done," Dumbledore said. "Once we have the Death Eaters trapped, it will leave Voldemort more vulnerable.'

Another auror named Bigsby swallowed. "Would the Dark Lord…I mean V-Voldemort come here then to finish the job?"

"Possibly, but that's what we want. I can still use my original plan that we talked about in our first meeting when we found out Harry was trapped in the muggle world. Perhaps I can use the ring's power to enhance my own and trap Voldemort as well. Now what to do with him after is a bit problematic, but as long as he can't attack we have the advantage," Dumbledore explained.

Minerva sighed. "I suppose that is our only option at this point. Do you think…that Harry will be alright?"

Dumbledore's eyes dimmed. "I do Minerva. No doubt he's had a great deal of obstacles, but I know he'll make it. Besides, if we trap Voldemort, another team can search out his hideout, perhaps by interrogating a Death Eater with Veritaserum, and rescue Harry if he's still there."

The group of aurors and teachers nodded.

"Now the students who are in this school right now with their families need optimism," Dumbledore said. "Minerva please go help Aberforth and get the students involved as well. The more magic on the protections the better."

"Yes, of course Albus," Minerva said.

"Bigsby, please stay here and help out. Moody, Fiyona, Rutley, Perskey and Gilwed come with me. We must finish what we started if we ever hope to get the advantage," Dumbledore said gravely. "We cannot give Voldemort any room to gain strength."

They all nodded. Dumbledore gazed at them all before turning and heading toward their secret passage – the one that opened in Hogsmeade. It was the only secret passage to Hogwarts left that hadn't been discovered, and it had been carefully protected by Aberforth for years. Now he had to use it one more time to slip past the Death Eaters and get to the sanctuary. It was time to take action.

**XXXXXXXX**

It was already getting dark out and Harry was still meditating. He gripped the talisman tightly and kept his eyes shut. A premonition just had to come. He was possibly the only hope for figuring out the location to stop anyone from ever finding it, especially Voldemort.

It was getting dark out now and Harry was definitely sure Voldemort was aware he had escaped. He expected to hear sounds of footsteps or Death Eaters apparating to him any minute. Thankfully he was still in the cave. Every now and then Harry still felt the prickle on the back of his neck and he opened his eyes to make sure there wasn't anyone there. It was deathly quiet and his scar was tingling a bit. He wondered if that perhaps Voldemort's fury coming through the bond.

Closing his eyes again, Harry remembered the passages of what Merlin talked about. He tried to picture what had been described. He practically hugged the journal to his chest, making sure it was up against the talisman. Suddenly, his whole body tensed and he felt his eyelids flutter violently. There were flashes before him – blurry at first but growing clearer. There was a train…it was going far, to a different city. He could see it…The Isle of Skye in Scotland…but it was on the other side of Scotland from where Hogwarts sat, protected and invisible to any muggles. And there was a mountain…he saw a sign for Trotternish Ridge – mountains and mountains of cliffs. It was there – there in a hidden location, hidden within the large, twisting and turning granite-made mountain: The Cuillin Mountain.

It was there inside the mountain that he saw Merlin lay down; he could see the man's long, thick, gray beard and his dark blue eyes beneath spectacles. He was balding on the top of his head, but there was still hair in the back of his scalp. And he was wearing a beautifully crafted long velvet, navy-blue robe that tied in the front with a thick silver string. He had no wand, just the amulet lined in topaz – the same gem as in the Ring Voldemort had wanted, hanging around his neck. The amulet appeared to shimmer abnormally as if it was acting like a wand, allowing the power within Merlin to exit through it. Perhaps the amulet even increased his power. Harry was not sure how Merlin had done spells without the use of the wand, but perhaps the amulets were the key. And that's why the amulet around his own neck was so powerful – it could hold magic and even tap into inner magic and release it.

And that was why every location Merlin had taught his students had an amulet there. Harry wondered briefly if any of his pupils had their own amulets. His thoughts were interrupted as he came back to reality. He gasped, feeling his body shake as his eyes focused back on his surroundings. He knew the location of Merlin's burial – the place where the entrance to the Silverback Tyrant's world sat in secret.

Harry jumped up instantly. He had to get the Isle of Skye. There was probably a train that could take him relatively close and then he'd probably have to fly his broom the rest of the way. Harry apparated to the train station, hoping that he could still purchase a ticket. To his dismay, there were no trains going that far until the next day. So Harry grabbed a map and left the train station. He then summoned his broom with his wand and took off to the sky. Thankfully Hermione had taught him a tracking spell so he used his wand to highlight the place he wanted to go and his wand set out a constant jet of light that he followed.

By now the sun was setting and the sky was colored in dark red and purple. Harry wasn't sure how long it would take, but he hoped not long. A cold wind swept over him causing him to shiver. Harry looked around making sure that he was high enough in the air so the light from his wand wouldn't be easily spotted. Hopefully, he was going much farther than the Death Eaters would even think to travel. Harry knew he couldn't use his scar to see what Voldemort was doing because it would risk Voldemort being able to sense where he was.

Time seemed to pass by slow even with his heart hammering every second. Anxiety and excitement traveled through every nerve in his body and ending up in his stomach. He was excited that he had discovered Merlin's resting place and that he would literally be standing next to the famous and powerful Merlin the Great, as he was known in wizard history. In muggle legends even he was known throughout as Merlin the Wizard. Harry wondered how he ended up in muggle legends. Perhaps it was because he had supposed helped King Arthur back hundreds of years ago. King Arthur was supposedly just a muggle, but one who respected and admired Merlin's magic and counted on him for help.

Shaking his head of questions that couldn't be answered by anyone except Merlin, Harry continued on. He was growing tired and his stomach rumbled with hunger every five minutes. He couldn't even remember the last time he had eaten a proper meal. Thankfully, and yet ironically, due to the Dursleys having starved him the first 10 years of his life, his body could tolerate going without food for quite a while. He was, however, becoming very thirsty. The wind was becoming colder as the sun lowered below the horizon. If not for his wand pointing the direction and lighting up his way, he would've been completely in the dark.

_I can't believe I've lucked out this far. I found the ring first….well, that wasn't so much luck as having this ability of premonition. But then I escaped Voldemort, which I thought would be impossible, and still I haven't seen any Death Eaters at all. _

Harry only hoped he could get into Hogwarts eventually. Even if Hogsmeade was safe to go to, he couldn't remember where Aberforth's secret passage was, or what the password was to activate it. He couldn't hide out in the Isle of Skye forever. That meant…that meant after destroying the entrance to the other world, he had to find a way to stop Voldemort. Perhaps Dumbledore would come up with a plan to draw the Death Eaters away from Hogwarts.

Suddenly, Harry's wand quivered and he realized he was coming close to his destination. He sped up, almost crashing into a regular bird that was flying through the clouds. The bird sqauked and narrowly missed him. He heard its high sqauk again but this time when he turned he saw the bird pelting downward as if suddenly losing its ability to fly. It disappeared beneath the clouds and Harry focused on arriving at his destination. He was coming over the large body of water by the Cuillin Mountains. He assumed it was the Atlantic Ocean, according to the map. He saw the large cliffs he had pictured in his premonition. And then, flying passed those Harry saw it – the beautiful mountain. There were lush bushes and life below it and there atop a high range was the tall mountain.

Harry marveled at how large it was up close. It hadn't seemed so large in his vision. He focused on remembering where the hidden entrance was. Circling around the mountain, Harry spotted the two peaks side by side that he recognized from his vision. Slowly he descended toward them. There was a mist forming around the top of the mountains so he had to fly carefully. He hovered in between the peaks searching for something. As he flew forward something happened. He was suddenly back in the upper part of the mountain again. Harry blinked in confusion and realized that Merlin's spell was probably preventing him from getting closer to the opening.

Going back down between the peaks, Harry murmured spells in the area to try and lower the protections. The spell was obviously a powerful one for nothing seemed to be working. Harry frowned. If only he knew what spell Merlin used and how he used it, he would better know how to get inside. Just then, Harry remembered seeing Merlin with his amulet. Glancing down at the amulet around his neck, Harry held it up and murmured "incantonus revelus!" It was a spell used to reveal a hidden passage, but he hoped it worked.

To his shock, the amulet in his hand glowed for a few seconds. Then beneath him, between the two peaks, one of the walls in the side of the mountain opened. Harry flew toward the opening, feeling his heart pounding loudly in his chest. The second he entered, he got off his broom and carried it as he walked through the tunnel. He saw that the mountains definitely had granite rock in it, for it shimmered against the light from his wand.

Every step closer he got, Harry felt a lump in his throat. How was he going to destroy the portal? What if he accidentally activated it? So many thoughts were swirling in his mind that he almost crashed into a dead end. Pointing his wand at it, he murmured "incantonus revelus!" again. The dead end vanished revealing another tunnel and twisted and turned for a long ways, probably heading directly to the center of inside the mountain. As Harry followed it, he realized that the Black Hag's hideout had been inside a mountain as well. Perhaps there was something to mountains – perhaps it helped to enforce any magical spells. Or perhaps certain elements in the earth that the mountains were made up of – such as granite – enforced magic. After all, the topaz gem helped to harness the power in the ring.

There was a light at the end of the passage so Harry stopped the lumos spell on his wand. Harry stepped forward and almost lost his footing. He was standing on a small cliff looking across the vast space of the inside of the mountain. He was shocked to find that the inside of it had rock formations that twisted and turned in various patterns throughout it. And in the very center of all these rock formations that twisted and turned like thick granite spider webs, was a platform, or rather a solid piece of rock. It was being held up by some of the rock formations that lead straight into the strong walls of the mountain's interior.

It was on that solid piece of rock that Harry's breath caught in his throat. There was a figure lying upon that solid piece of rock. He could make out the beautiful velvet material that looked just as bright as it had in his vision. Harry jumped back on his broom, feeling another cold wind sweep over him. He rubbed his scar and then adjusted his glasses as he carefully weaved his way through the air over to the platform. It wasn't that big, but what stood out to him most was that it was practically in the middle of the air. There were some rocky fixtures near the edge of the platform, but all around it was air, besides the structures that held it up from beneath.

Harry set his broom down and approached the body slowly. As he came closer, he couldn't believe his eyes. Merlin's body had not deteriorated. Somehow the blood of the Silverback Tyrant inside of him kept his body alive even in death, which explained how Merlin's spells remained active. Even for a wizard, Harry was certain Merlin lived a very long time; he was probably the oldest wizard in history, dying at around the age of 300, or relatively close to that. Dumbledore was already about 115 and already considered an old man for a wizard.

The skin was deathly pale and the lips were blue, but other than that Merlin appeared to be sleeping. Harry stared down at the amulet around his neck. It definitely glistened and in the center was a topaz gem. His neck prickled with the familiar feeling of being watched. Before Harry could turn his head he suddenly found himself screaming in pain on the ground. He knew the feeling of the Cruiciatus Curse all too well by now.

The searing pain burned through his entire body as if lightning was running through every vein in his body. When the curse was released, Harry was out-of-breath, struggling to lift himself up. He only managed to prop his arms up so he could lift his head and turn to his left. There, standing before him, was Voldemort.

Suddenly, it struck him like a lightning bolt. Voldemort had indeed let him escape. That's why it had been too easy; that's why Harry felt the strange prickling on the back of his neck for hours when he was at the sanctuary and then as he was flying to the location. Voldemort had made him believe he had escaped himself; that the ropes just happened to loosen and the death eater happened to conveniently throw his wand in the fireplace where he could get it and use it to escape. Voldemort wanted to follow Harry to see if he could figure out what Harry had been unable to tell him under Veritaserum.

"I was hoping you would lead me to whoever was protecting you so I could teach them a lesson, but I suppose this is even better," Voldemort said, eyeing Merlin. "So this is the secret that Dumbledore has kept from me. Now why is that, Potter? What's so special about a dead man, despite his legacy?"

Harry clenched his jaw shut as his heart pounded in his chest. There was no way he could let Voldemort find out. Voldemort's eyes seemed to glow as he began to close the distance between them.

"Not going to tell me, Potter? That's fine. I can just kill you and take that book that you discovered in the sanctuary. I'm sure it has all the answers I need."

"It doesn't," Harry said firmly.

Voldemort's eyes narrowed and Harry could feel his impatience rising. Harry was subtly trying to get to his wand, but Voldemort sensed it immediately. Harry wasn't prepared when his wand soared away from him toward Voldemort. The spell hadn't even been said out loud; Voldemort had only thought it, which meant he was definitely too close now.

"Not this time, Potter. You will not irk me any longer. I will find out the information I seek, and then I will kill you. Slowly…very slowly," he hissed coldly. It sent shivers up Harry's back but he tried to hold his gaze steady.

Voldemort walked toward him and his red eyes glistened down upon him. His gaze was hungry and murderous.

"Cruico!" Voldemort hissed.

Harry attempted to roll out of the way but Voldemort was close enough now that he stepped down firmly on his foot, which was half turned due to rolling. Harry couldn't help the hiss of pain that he released as Voldemort applied pressure to keep him from moving. He knew if he attempted to escape, Voldemort would apply his whole weight onto Harry's ankle and probably break it. Harry then slowly turned back to lie on his back, but his ankle was still caught beneath Voldemort's foot.

"You will learn some obedience before you die, Potter," Voldemort hissed.

Harry braced himself as the Cruiciatus Curse came at him again. Unfortunately, due to Voldemort still pinning his ankle down, Harry's body writhed uncomfortably. His ankle was straining and Harry felt a sharp pain. He couldn't register it completely until Voldemort released the curse. Harry hadn't even realized he had been screaming until he noticed his throat felt scratchy.

As Harry lay there trying to calm his shallow breathing, Voldemort was staring down at him with such pleasure it made Harry's stomach turn. The victorious glint in his enemy's eyes was enough to make rage bubble inside him. He had every right to live; Voldemort had no right turning his life into a nightmare. Somehow Harry had to distract Voldemort. Maybe there was a way he could close the portal while Voldemort was unaware. However, Harry was soon struck with fear as Voldemort pointed his wand at him again. He was certain the killing curse was coming his way.

To his shock, the journal flew out from inside his robe and Voldemort caught it. Harry jumped up toward Voldemort without thinking, attempting to grab it back, but Voldemort threw him back to the ground roughly with a quick spell. Harry groaned as his shoulder hit the ground hard and started throbbing.

"Let's see what you've been hiding from me, Potter," Voldemort said. "You seem to be very adamant about getting this back," he said, opening the journal. "Could this happen to have information on what Dumbledore has been hiding from me as well?"

Harry clamped his jaw shut. He remained silent even as he felt his pulse increase. Voldemort was going to know about the other world! Thankfully, Merlin didn't mention how to access it, but the fact that they were at Merlin's burial place meant Voldemort might be able to figure it out.

Voldemort hissed a spell that paralyzed Harry to the ground. Voldemort then backed away a bit and began reading the journal. Harry struggled against the spell and he felt the pain in his ankle. It didn't feel broken, or he would be in a lot more pain, so it was probably sprained. Voldemort paced slowly nearby him as his red eyes scanned the contents of the journal. It would take him at least twenty minutes to read the entire journal so that bought Harry a little bit of time.

The paralyzing spell was too strong and he knew he would have to wait for it to wear off. Feeling helpless, Harry couldn't help the stirrings of guilt. If Voldemort discovered how to get into the world, it would be all Harry's fault. Dumbledore and Merlin would be disappointed in him.

_I should've known someone was there with me…I felt something strange, but I didn't think Voldemort would be just patiently watching me the whole time. He didn't attack me once. And why wasn't he at Hogwarts? If he thinks he has the real Ring, why didn't he try to get to Dumbledore? Unless…there's no way he could know that he has the fake Ring. _

A cold laugh abruptly snapped him out of his troubled thoughts. Voldemort wasn't facing Harry, but he had stopped pacing.

"Those fools! This is what they were hiding? As if I wouldn't find this out someday! I was aware of the rumors during my research of this Ring and the one small mention of the Silverback Tyrants in Salazar's journal…yes, I was aware he thought they were from a different world. Merlin's prodigy had mentioned it and Salazar was the only one to document that. Still…had I known Merlin had actually discovered this world, a way in…"

Voldemort's burning red eyes landed on Harry. He approached Harry until he was standing at his feet.

"Your mentor was a fool Potter to try to keep this from me. Eventually I'm sure I would've found out this information from the Black Hag. She was the keeper of this Ring," Voldemort sneered, holding up his hand. "And Dumbledore I'm sure wanted this Ring as well in order to prevent this world from ever being discovered, but you see Potter…not only do I know that his world is real and that the entrance is here at Merlin's burial site, where you've conveniently led me," his lips curled wider, "but I have the key to get into the world."

Harry's eyes widened. Of course, the Ring could probably act as a key because it had a Silverback Tyrant's heart inside of it. Was that the only to get in? What would happen if Voldemort realized that the Ring was a fake? Harry would surely die as well as the Black Hag. No doubt Voldemort would figure out that the Black Hag was the one protecting him and helping him.

Voldemort scanned the journal again and then shut it. He came closer, but instead of rounding on Harry he knelt by Merlin's body. Harry could feel his fingers move. He couldn't turn his head or Voldemort would realize the spell was wearing off.

"Ah, how simple…Merlin might have been powerful back in his day, but I can easily overcome this spell."

Harry heard him hiss something and then his whole body tingled as warmth spread beneath his body. Voldemort was breaking the spell around the burial site. Voldemort laughed coldly again. "How predictable. Now that the spell is broken, I can open the doorway with this Ring."

Voldemort stood up and Harry tensed as he was in his line of vision. The spell had completely worn off but Harry didn't dare move. Voldemort raised the Ring and his wand and hissed an incantation to reveal the doorway. Harry held his breath. Nothing happened. Harry's heart pounded loudly in his chest. Voldemort must know by now that the Ring was fake! He would kill Harry and then eventually get the Black Hag. If he found out Dumbledore had the Ring he'd do all he could to break down Hogwarts, kill Dumbledore, and then get into the world.

Voldemort hissed with fury and stared down at the Ring. He opened the journal back up.

"Perhaps Merlin's infected blood is needed," Voldemort said.

He summoned a dagger and Harry's eyes widened. Voldemort really wasn't considering hacking up Merlin's body! Slowly, Harry inclined his head to watch as Voldemort made a slice in Merlin's arm and summoned a vial. He then carried the vial with him to the center of the room. He began to pace, probably trying to figure out what was needed. Voldemort then approached a small crevice in the ground near the edge of the platform. His lips curled into a malicious grin and Harry's heartbeat quickened.

There was no way it could work without the real Ring, unless…unless the Ring wasn't part of the key. Merlin hadn't mentioned the Ring in his journal….and it was Merlin's prodigy who had created the ring, having fought with a Silverback Tyrant as well. So there must have been two that were the last ones. The first one Merlin fought and followed into a different world, and then the prodigy probably thought Merlin's disappearance was because the other Silverback Tyrant left behind had killed him. Nobody ever figured out Merlin was in a different world at that time. The Silverback Tyrants probably only destroyed so many towns because they were trying to get back home. And that's why Merlin wanted to protect them and their world, because they didn't belong there.

Harry watched as Voldemort poured the blood into the crevice. It was probably a hole left behind from when the doorway was first opened. As Voldemort raised the Ring again, Harry moved and slowly scooted toward Merlin's body. His fingers brushed against the amulet as he searched for something – any sort of weapon – that he could use against Voldemort.

Suddenly, the floor began shaking violently – so violently that Harry was actually afraid the platform would fall apart. Voldemort's cold laugh echoed around them and Harry realized Voldemort must've thought the Ring worked. But it couldn't have been the Ring…it was a fake! Was Merlin's blood the only thing that was the key? Was the blood all Voldemort needed to open the doorway?

Harry shook his head in disbelief as surges of power, like thick shimmering lightning bolts appeared out of thin air. The air around them began swirling as if a tornado was present. Harry couldn't see the air swirling around him, but he could feel it as the energy disrupted the environment around them. Voldemort's eyes gleaned with victory. His hungry eyes turned back to Harry, who he noticed as sitting up with one of his hands on Merlin's body. Voldemort raised his wand toward him and Harry's eyes widened. He unconsciously gripped Merlin's robe, knowing this was it – Voldemort would send the killing curse his way now that he had access to the world.

Without warning the entire room seemed to burst with power and energy. Voldemort's hiss of fury was drowned out by the crackling sounds. To Harry's utter shock, he realized that there was a strong force pulling at them. At the edge of the platform, where the blood had been poured, something was appearing – like a hole in thin air. The hole was no longer filled with the crackling lightning that had vanished after the mild explosion of energy. But something was forming…something was appearing in the middle of the air and drawing them near it.

Harry realized why Voldemort could not kill him. Voldemort was standing directly in front of the portal and his robe was appearing to be sucked toward the opening, which was growing larger and larger by the second. It was in that split second that Harry realized Voldemort was being forcefully pulled inside of the doorway. He appeared to be taken off guard and was fighting not to go in right away. Harry noticed the journal had fallen to the floor, having been tossed from Voldemort's robes as the portal attempted to suck Voldemort inside. Merlin hadn't described this in his journal! Had the portal sucked him inside when he approached it as well?

As the portal opened fully, at least ten feet tall and more than five feet wide, Harry saw Voldemort's enraged eyes land on him. Voldemort's feet skidded as the portal pulled at him, but as he slid toward it, Voldemort raised his wand toward Harry. Harry let out a sound of terror as his body was suddenly thrown down and pulled harshly. He grabbed at the nearest thing, which was Merlin's body. One of his hands grabbed Merlin's robe and the other one unintentionally grabbed the amulet. Harry shouted in surprise as his body was lifted up off the ground. His slip on Merlin was waning. Voldemort was trying to pull Harry in with him!

All of a sudden, Harry felt his body being slammed backward as Voldemort put more and more force into his spell. His hand on Merlin's robe slipped and he was dangling by one hand – the one grasping the amulet with all his might. Harry fought against the magnetic force pulling him backward, wondering how it was possible Merlin's body didn't budge. He struggled to move his free hand up to the amulet for more support. He could hear Voldemort cursing behind him; his voice was growing softer. Harry's free hand grabbed the amulet so he had both hands around it.

Then the worst thing happened. The chain holding the amulet around Merlin's neck snapped. Harry shouted as his body was sucked backward with such force he nearly lost his glasses in the process. Harry could feel the strong power of the portal as his body was engulfed by it. His whole body tingled violently as if all his nerves were on fire. It was hard to breathe and the energy was so overwhelming. The last thing Harry remembered was seeing the room of Merlin's burial become but a distant vision before everything went black.

**XXXXXXXX**

"Hermione, look at that!" Ron exclaimed.

They were all sitting in the Gryffindor Common Room huddled by the fireplace. Ginny was sleeping on the couch. Hermione rushed over to the window and stared out at the vast fog that surrounded them.

"This is no ordinary fog," she whispered. "This is definitely a magical fog. I'll bet it's Dumbledore's doing. He's probably at the sanctuary right now making this possible."

Ron squinted. "What does it do?"

"It should create enough of a shield around Hogwarts that will make it impossible for the Death Eaters to even see the school. Hopefully, they'll give up and go away."

"I'm surprised none of them have gotten in yet. I thought…isn't You-Know-Who here?" he asked as his voice cracked.

Hermione glanced at him and then lowered her eyes. "I don't know. Maybe not…not with Harry at his mercy."

She bit her lip and wiped at her eyes. "Poor Harry…I hope he's alright."

"He's always thinking about other people," Ron whispered, looking down. He was obviously fighting tears. "He should've kept that Ring for himself."

Hermione wiped at her eyes again and nodded. "At least Hogwarts is safe for now. That means that the Death Eaters might leave and try to take over the Ministry building."

"They're on lockdown, right? Don't they have enough protections?" Ron exclaimed with wide eyes.

Hermione put a hand on his shoulder. "Ron, I'm sure your dad's alright, and your mum too. I'm sure many most of the Ministry members and their families have sealed themselves in the Ministry building. And other people are hiding in their homes, or other places considered sanctuaries, like Gringotts, which is protected by dragons….We just have to think positive. There are some people who are vulnerable, but I don't think the Death Eaters or V-Voldemort would care about them. They're after the most important people in the wizard world like Dumbledore and Hogwarts, and the Ministry members."

Ron swallowed. "I hope they're safe in the Ministry."

"I'm sure they are. At least there were some aurors who made it here to aide Dumbledore, including Fudge, but not everybody could fit in this school. I mean…it's a huge school with many secret passageways, but it's still just one place. Be thankful some of our friends made it here."

"Yeah, but that's because some people come early right before the school year starts," Ron said. "The others…they had no idea, they weren't even prepared for this. They were probably all out at Diagon Alley getting stuff for the new year and then suddenly they had to go into hiding. I know Dumbledore said the Ministry sent out a warning to all wizard citizens to take shelter, but some people might not know where to go!"

"I know, Ron. I know that, but I'm sure they'll be ok. V-Voldemort is focused on taking Hogwarts and Dumbledore first. We've got the worst of it right now," Hermione said, leaning up against the wall.

Ron shook his head. "No, Harry's got the worst of it. He's with that monster! That – that disgusting…," he trailed off.

"Harry's strong; he's strong so he'll get out of there," Hermione said quietly. "He will, Ron, we just have to believe in him. And as long as Hogwarts is protected, Harry will find more strength in that. Besides, Dumbledore said Voldemort probably wants to keep Harry alive to see if he knows anything. That will buy him some time."

"But how will he ever escape? He's completely helpless! There's no way You-Know-Who wouldn't take the chance to kill him!" Ron bellowed.

Ginny groaned and shifted on the couch. Ron bit his lip and Hermione's eyes welled up with tears.

"We have to believe that Dumbledore wouldn't let Harry die. He's doing this fog thing to make the Death Eaters back off and to make sure Hogwarts is more protected. Then he'll probably go help Harry. We can't give up hope, Ron. We can't."

The two lapsed into silence.

"Aberforth is still here, right? Let's go see if he knows what's going on!" Hermione exclaimed.

The two of them raced from the common room toward the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall was in the Great Hall with Aberforth and a couple other aurors and Fudge. Aberforth turned as they entered.

"Aberforth, is Dumbledore creating this fog?" Hermione asked as she attempted to catch her breath.

Aberforth nodded. "Yes, he is."

"And he's going to save Harry after, right?" Ron burst out.

"I'm sure he will."

Aberforth left the table where the teachers and aurors were staring at them. He then ushered for them to go out into the hallway.

"Dumbledore told me that he believes Harry's being protected by the Black Hag. Voldemort won't be able to kill Harry if he thinks Harry is hiding information from him. He'll want to keep him alive, at least until he discovers what that is," he explained as Ron and Hermione exchanged worried looks. "If the Black Hag is protecting him and Voldemort can't get the information out of Harry, he'll most likely abandon Harry for the time being. Or at least keep him prisoner until he finds out what he wants to know. Harry is probably more valuable to him alive at this point."

Ron seemed to visibly relax. Hermione didn't seem as eased.

"What's going to happen to all of us Aberforth? Does Dumbledore have a plan to stop Voldemort?"

"Yes, he's working on it. He brought back the amulet I was holding – the diamond shaped one. It's the amulet that got stolen from that sanctuary site Dumbledore is using at this very moment. I discovered that a person in my pub had it many years back when I saw the dark dealings. You see, lots of dark wizards will disguise themselves in my pub and try to sell people things they shouldn't."

"Like when Hagrid got that dragon egg," Ron interrupted.

Aberforth gave them a puzzled look, but continued. "When I discovered the amulet, knowing at the time that my brother had been enhancing the protections of Merlin's sanctuaries, and realizing one of them was missing an amulet, I alerted him. We set up a trap for this customer by disguising an auror to be very interested in it. Anyway, we got it back and Dumbledore studied it for a couple of years before finally figuring out how to unlock its potential.

"Each of these amulets has Merlin's blood forged into it to keep its protective power even after Merlin's death. So we used that amulet to create a secret passage into Hogwarts from my pub so that if ever I needed to urgently speak to my brother I could. And as emergencies. Dumbledore has now replaced that amulet in its rightful spot and no doubt he's using the power of that protection spell Merlin left behind to create this fog as a distraction.

"Merlin left behind these sanctuaries in order for people to be protected. And Dumbledore's idea is to use the power at each of these sanctuaries to try to protect as much of the wizard world from Voldemort as possible."

"Yes but the sanctuaries can't actually stop Voldemort," Hermione urged.

Aberforth sighed. "No, but it can create enough of a nusance that hopefully Voldemort will focus on Dumbledore instead of Hogwarts and Harry."

"What is Dumbledore going to do with the Ring? I mean…if You-Know-Who wanted it, doesn't that mean it's all-powerful?" Ron asked.

Aberforth shook his head. "Voldemort searched out this Ring for a different purpose. Yes, it does enhance the wearer's ability, but this Ring is the last connection to the Silverback Tyrants. I believe Voldemort originally thought he could use the Silverback Tyrant's heart to search out the Elder Wand."

"What? But that's a myth!" Ron exclaimed.

"I'm afraid not. Since Dumbledore is the only one to know the location of the Elder Wand, he didn't want Voldemort to find out. And I'm afraid with the Ring, Voldemort could've brought down the protections of Hogwarts in order to get to Dumbledore for the purpose of obtaining this wand. But then he was able to capture Harry and that has distracted him for the time being. However, now Dumbledore's main concern is that Voldemort will discover the Order's secret and realize that there may be something even more coveted than the Elder Wand."

Ron's eyes practically bugged out of his head. "What in the world could be more powerful than the legendary Elder Wand?"

Hermione nodded fervently. "Yes, and what is this secret?"

"I'm afraid I don't know the full answer to what is more powerful than the Elder Wand. I have no idea how Voldemort could really use the secret to his advantage and I doubt Dumbledore knows entirely either. But it's the possibility that this secret holds which is dangerous…it's the possibility of acquiring powers beyond what we have here, beyond everything we know today. I can't tell you anymore than that, but you need to have faith in both Harry and Dumbledore. I'm sure everything will turn out all right in the end. After all, we have the Ring now so Voldemort is more limited in what he can do."

Both Ron and Hermione nodded. For the time being, all they could do was wait and see what would happen.

**XXXXXXX**

The smell of fresh air was the first thing he noticed. Opening his eyes, Harry panicked when everything was a large blur. His glasses had fallen off. Immediately, Harry jumped up as the memories came flooding back to him. His sore body burned in protest, but Harry scrambled to find his glasses. They had to be here somewhere! If not, he was permanently blind because he didn't even have his wand to do a temporary vision-healing spell. His hands moved around the soft ground. It felt like grass. His hand hit something hard and he clutched it. It was circular and hard.

_Merlin's amulet. I must have taken it with me when I…_

Harry's heart just about stopped in his chest. When he and Voldemort had been sucked into the portal. That meant…that meant Harry was in the Silverback Tyrant's world. For all he knew he could be standing in a nest of them. Harry slipped the amulet into his pocket and continued crawling around. His whole body relaxed in relief when he found his glasses. To his dismay one lens had a small crack in it, but he could still see fine.

Harry then took in his surroundings. He was lying on the grass nearby a stream – one that had a strange purple tint to it. Otherwise the water seemed perfectly clear. There were strange plants and trees around him. The trees were so tall that they disappeared high into the sky so Harry could barely see the tops. The trunks were large and light tan colored, instead of a dark brown. The leaves on the trees were a light golden-yellow, instead of green. It seemed to be sunny out, for it was very bright, but Harry couldn't see any sun in the sky.

Turning all around, he realized thankfully that he was alone. He and Voldemort probably got sucked in at slightly different times so they didn't end up in the same place.

"But he's got my wand," Harry whispered aloud. "I have to get it back!"

Harry felt panic rising within him. Voldemort might have been very nearby for all he knew. And he had both of their wands. For now, it seemed Voldemort didn't realize the Ring he had was a fake, but now he was inside the Silverback Tyrant's world, probably already learning things that could be useful to him!

_My only option is to get back and find a way to close the portal! If I trap him here, then he won't be able to use the knowledge he gains from this world and use it in our world. _

The problem he now faced was getting back. Obviously, the portal had been opened and probably was still open in that place, but how to get back there was the real question. They didn't have Merlin's blood, if that was in fact the key.

Harry's eyes widened. He took out the amulet from his pocket and examined it closely. Perhaps…perhaps it was the amulet's doing! After all, Merlin had said in his journal that he fused all of his amulets with his own blood in order to keep the protections up even after his death. That meant that this amulet also had Merlin's blood in it, and it had the blood that had been alive and actively flowing with the Tyrant's infection at the time that it was created. So perhaps it wasn't the blood that Voldemort had used at all! Perhaps it was the amulet the entire time! The amulet might be the key to the portal.

His heart was racing now as he realized what this meant. If the amulet was the key to the portal, then he had a way to get back and Voldemort didn't. On the other hand…Voldemort currently had his wand and Harry had to get that back. He couldn't imagine being without his wand; he didn't want to use anybody else's.

Harry crept as quietly as possible through the strange world. There were plants there with multiple buds that seemed to move and have a life of their own. The air was definitely fresh with a nice cool breeze. He had seen a couple of huge birds with bright golden feathers flying above. They had to be about the size of a baby elephant at least. They also had long tails made of feathers that were a deep golden brown. They seemed to glisten and Harry wondered if their tails held some sort of magic.

As far as he could tell, there appeared to be no human life, besides his own. Voldemort didn't really count as human anymore. Harry relished in the serene feeling of the world. It was nice…nice not to have chaos and death and fear; nice to not have a million people bustling about all the time, or shops and roads taking the place of nature. The grassy landscape seemed to stretch on forever. Harry came to the edge of a cliff and looked down. There, below him was the most amazing sight.

There was a vast river, a much darker blue than the stream he had seen, but still just as clear. Strange creatures with fins swam about and by their shadows, they didn't appear small either. There were tall vines that wrapped around some trees, seeming to enhance their growth and making more and more branches that hung low toward the water. There were some white-colored plants that sent up puffs of sizzling silver and green magic that dispersed into the air.

A strange creature was walking on six legs. It was all black with thick, shiny fur. It had a long nose and bright sky-blue eyes. There was a silver stripe down the middle of its back that extended to its tail, which was a mixture of bronze, silver and black. The tail was at least five feet long and the body…it had to be half the size of one of the Silverbacks. It had fur around its neck, similar to a lion, only the fur seemed to puff out into silver and bronze colors when it was wary, stopping to listen, and then would smooth back down as if it was never there. Its ears also only appeared when it was listening intently.

And then he saw it – the Silverback Tyrant. It was as large as two dragons put together. Its massive body and the silver streak down its back where the spikes appeared like armor. Its large mouth and layers of teeth shone brightly. Its face was a combination of a serpent and a dragon. It had the beady serpent eyes and a long blue tongue, but its facial structure was more similar to that a dragon. It didn't breathe fire, but it seemed to breathe the same silver-blue magic that had sizzled in front of him when the portal opened. It was obviously scrounging around for food and surprisingly it didn't bear its teeth as the strange black creature as it passed. Was the Silverback Tyrant an herbivore? Or perhaps, there was a specific creature it ate.

Harry tore his gaze away, afraid that one of the creatures would notice him. He walked toward his left and followed the grassy area to a hill, which he climbed down. There was a gorgeous and huge rock structure that gleamed in the bright light. There was a mouth to the gigantic stone structure that opened like a cave. What was strange was that the rock-like material it was made out of changed colors – from dark green to magenta and then a dark blue. It wasn't bright colors, but the way it shimmered told him that there was a lot of magic being harbored there.

Suddenly, Harry was struck with the remembrance of reading about a cave in Merlin's journal. Perhaps this was the cave that he thought held the source of the Tyrant's powers. Perhaps there was some element in the world that was in the ground, the plants, the air…something that they fed on to give them that power. Harry's curiosity got the better of him and he approached the cave.

Inside, the floor was smooth – so smooth he almost slipped. He could feel an energy there; something was making his body tingle. It was an odd sensation – one he couldn't place or explain, but it made him more nervous. As he turned, he saw that small vines covered the inside of the cave. He followed the vines, noting that they were a strange purple color and seemed to have an unusual, though not bad, odor. When Harry got to the back of the cave, he was astounded at what he saw. There was a gorgeous, and gigantic, plant sitting in the center of the cave. It was mostly purple, although its roots had tints of silver in it. In fact, the buds themselves that grew from various parts of it were silver, but inside of the silver buds, was a center – a beautiful purple crystal.

"This is that crystal Merlin mentioned," Harry said aloud.

As he approached it, he noticed that indeed it did seem to pulsate as if it had a life of its own. Looking down at the plant, he realized that its roots were deeply seated beneath the cave, through its thick walls and into the ground. For all he knew, there could be a ton of these plants around the vast world that were all rooted in the ground, perhaps leaking something from them – a magical element perhaps – that gave a power like any other to the world and all of the creatures that inhabited it. It would explain why so many of the creatures and plants had the same silver colors to them. The silver apparently came from this plant.

Before he knew what he was doing, Harry reached out to the plant. A part of him didn't want to disturb it, not knowing what could happen in such an unknown world, but the second his fingers touched the crystal Harry felt a jolt of energy course through his body. He wasn't sure if it was just a feeling, or if there was in fact magic flowing into him. Or maybe it wasn't magic like they knew magic…maybe it was something else. Maybe it was a kind of life source that enhanced anything that touched it.

Harry reached out to touch the crystal again and wrapped two fingers around it. He felt it pulsing and the strange jolt hit him again. There was a sound to his left and Harry wheeled around so fast that he pulled on the plant's crystal as well. The crystal came out with a loud hiss as Harry fell backward. He looked down at his hand mortified to see the crystal throbbing in it, but when he looked up at the plant, in place of where the crystal was, a new crystal was already growing. Feeling it pulsate and how warm it was in his hand, Harry couldn't really call it a crystal, although it did seem to shimmer quite a bit.

Harry swallowed thickly, thinking it wasn't his place to mess with anything in the world. He didn't want to just leave the bud there so he slipped it into his pocket. He wasn't sure what else to do with it. A part of him wanted to take it home with him….maybe to see if it could be of use in potions, or healing, or protecting Hogwarts, but at the same time he felt guilty. Wasn't it just as wrong of him to take something back to their world the same as if Voldemort did?

His thoughts were in such turmoil as he left the cave and began walking in a random direction that he barely noticed his scar throbbing at first. Harry stopped suddenly as it began to burn. His whole body tensed instantly. In front of him was a cluster of odd, tall plants and an endless direction of green. On the other side of him were more hills and landscape that spread out amongst the vast land. Harry knew Voldemort was close. He ran toward the trees, hoping to hide behind them if necessary. He followed the burning sensation to a small clearing where there was soft black sand, or what appeared to be sand, instead of grass covering the land.

There was a creature staring at him. It had four eyes, all different colors, and its body was scaley. It was smaller than him and had a long body, but claws on the ends of its feet. Spikes flew up all over its body when it spotted him. But suddenly, it took off and dug into the sand as if frightened.

"Potter," a cold voice hissed.

Harry jumped at the sound and saw Voldemort appearing from a separate cluster of trees a short distance away. Voldemort's eyes were burning and his wand was pointed at him. Harry hadn't noticed him and as he tried backing away Voldemort hissed spells at him. Harry jumped out of the way, but tripped over his own feet. As he scrambled to get back up Voldemort through the Cruiciatus Curse at him. Harry was screaming as his body thrashed upon the ground. His jeans were covered in the black sand.

The curse lifted and Harry struggled to get up. Voldemort was approaching him with such determination.

"You can't escape me, Potter! You are unarmed!" he hissed, smirking widely. "And now that I've gotten into the world, I can find all sorts of powers! Once I do, I can break down Hogwarts and Dumbledore so easily!"

"You can't!" Harry exclaimed. "You'll never be able to get back!" he attempted to scoot away from him by crawling backward, using his legs to move.

Voldemort sneered. "Is that so, Potter? Then you are trapped here as well! And I will kill you before finding my own way out. I know that portal is still open so I know there has to be a way out. But first, I will take care of you."

Voldemort sent another hex at him and Harry screamed as his body felt like he was on fire. When the hex ended, Harry was finding it hard to breathe. Voldemort was coming closer and already his scar was burning. Harry weakly put his hand in his pocket, hoping maybe the amulet would help in some way. But his hand touched the warm, pulsating crystal that he had slipped into his other pocket. His eyes widened as Voldemort approached him with his wand pointed at Harry's heart.

Harry desperately wished he had his wand. A jet of light erupted from his pocket, making Voldemort hiss in surprise. He faltered for a split second and in that second Harry's wand came flying out of his robe and landed at his feet. Harry's scar erupted in pain at sensing Voldemort's fury. Harry released the crystal in his pocket and snatched up his wand. He managed to yell a spell to shield himself as the killing curse came pelting his way. The spells collided and exploded, throwing Harry off his feet. He jumped to his feet in time to see Voldemort rushing toward him with his wand pointed and eyes ablaze with such fury that Harry ran as fast as possible away from him.

Harry zigzagged to avoid being hit by any curses. He shouted spells and pointed his wand behind him without daring to look back.

"You will never escape me Potter! You have no way out of this world and I will get you! And I will spill all your blood until you beg me for death!" Voldemort bellowed behind him.

Harry tripped over a root and fell down, ripping his jeans in the process. Voldemort was closing in and Harry jumped to his feet.

"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort hissed.

Harry knew he couldn't dodge it and at this range he wouldn't be ale to deflect it, so he pulled out the crystal and held it in front of him. Voldemort's eyes widened in shock, obviously taken aback by the unknown thing in Harry's hand. The Crystal glowed brightly and released another jet of light. It completely dispersed the killing curse and Harry was so overcome with awe that he almost didn't turn and run before Voldemort's shock wore off.

"Accio Crystal!" Voldemort hissed.

"Deflectus!" Harry shouted, pointing his wand behind him.

He heard Voldemort curse in Parseltongue and Harry ran despite the burning in his legs. He ran into the nearest cluster of trees, using the trees as a shield as he ran. He could still hear Voldemort not too far behind him. Harry stuck his free hand in his pocket to grab the amulet. He could still feel the warmth of the Cystal in his pocket. Harry clenched the amulet as he headed toward a river. Using an advanced levitation spell, Harry flung himself across the river. He could see Voldemort not too far from the river. His eyes were filled with rage and Harry knew any second he'd be flying across the river.

But Harry was already pulling the amulet in front of him. Crackling sounds echoed and he turned his head around to see Voldemort's entire mouth in a scream of fury. Black jets released from his wand sending the river into a typhoon rage. Harry felt the cold sprinkles of water from the splash it caused, but he didn't stop. He pointed his wand in front of him using a spell that he heard Voldemort say to reveal the hidden portal. Harry stopped long enough to allow the portal to begin to open in front of him.

He wheeled around hearing Voldemort's cry of rage. The Dark Lord was coming through the water, veins showing underneath his pale, inhuman skin were bulging from the amount of rage he was harboring. The portal was a small hole now and Voldemort was closing in fast. Harry whipped out the purple Crystal and pointed it at the hole. It suddenly opened in a split second sucking Harry inside. The harsh wind and strange tingling filled his body, but this time he didn't pass out. He fell harshly onto the floor and he wand rolled away from him. He scrambled to grab the purple crystal out of his pocket and slammed the amulet down on the ground. He struck the amulet with the Crystal and while holding the Crystal on it he bellowed the incantation that breaks things apart.

The Crystal glowed as Harry heard Voldemort's cry of fury: "YOU WILL NEVER ESCAPE ME POTTER! I WILL NEVER REST UNTIL YOU ARE—"

The amulet shattered into pieces and Harry turned his head. He saw a jet of green light coming through the portal, but thankfully he wasn't at the angle to be hit by it. Suddenly, with a loud fizzle, the portal vanished and dispersed into the air, leaving no trace behind. Harry couldn't believe it. Voldemort had been so close to the portal—close enough to send a curse through, but not close enough to jump through. If Harry had even hesitated for a second…

Harry stared down at the amulet, feeling bad about having to destroy something that was Merlin's. Glancing up, Harry suddenly realized that Merlin's body was disintegrating. He was turning into ash. In a matter of minutes, there was nothing left; no trance that Merlin had ever been there. The amulet had lost its shine, but Harry had a feeling that was a good thing. Not only was the portal closed, hopefully for good, and the key destroyed, but Merlin's body was finally able to go where it belonged. Maybe he was more at peace now, especially since the world was protected.

However, a terrible thought occurred to him. What if Voldemort reeked havoc in that world? What if he became all-powerful? What if he found another way to get back? Harry felt a bit dizzy with all the questions looming in his mind, but he forced his tired body back up. Out of the corner of his eye he saw something. He turned and noticed the journal lying on the floor a short distance away. It had fallen from Voldemort's robe, apparently far enough away to not get sucked in. Harry walked over to it and slipped it into his robe. At least there was something of Merlin's to remember him by, besides his legend.

He summoned his broom to him and took off. Not being able to go back through the passage, Harry soared up the peak of the mountain and blasted a hole through it. When he got out though, he sealed the hole back up.

Harry used his wand to head back toward Hogwarts. Harry had to get to Dumbledore; to tell him what happened. He only hoped the Death Eaters were gone, or that he could get inside somehow. About half way back, Harry changed his mind, thinking it might be too dangerous to go to Hogwarts. He wanted to bring the journal back to its rightful place. Harry noticed, as he neared, that it was incredibly foggy and his broom was having trouble flying straight. He managed to land it rather decently and he fought through the fog to get to the sanctuary.

Suddenly, Harry felt his body levitate into the air. He made a sound of surprise, feeling his body being thrust upside down.

"Hold on Alastor! It's Harry!" he heard a familiar voice respond.

Harry felt his body being lowered gently. Harry moved forward and past a certain point the fog seemed to vanish and he could see clearly. Harry's eyes lit up in astonishment at seeing Dumbledore standing there beside Alastor Moody and a few other aurors Harry didn't recognize.

"Harry, you're alive!" Moody exclaimed gruffly. "How in the blazes did you escape Lord Voldemort's clutches?"

"It's a long, long story," Harry said, suddenly able to feel the exhaustion plaguing him. "Dumbledore…I need to talk to you. I think I may have stopped Voldemort, but I'm not sure."

All the aurors, except Moody, gasped in union. Moody's unusual eye seemed to widen in awe. Dumbledore gestured for Harry to sit down as he transfigured a rock into a chair for him. All the aurors gathered around to listen as well. Harry began by explaining that his mind was being protected by the Black Hag – that Voldemort couldn't get in, but that his escape seemed far too easy. He told them he found the way into the sanctuary.

"Hold on, you actually found a way to get in?" an auror asked. "We've all been trying for years to get inside!"

"There were two mechanisms that had to be activated," Harry replied, as Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "I found this," he said pulling out the journal. "It's Merlin's journal where he described the Silverback Tyrant's world, but not its location."

"Holy horntails!" an auror exclaimed. "That's Merlin's journal?"

"It describes a lot of his accomplishments in detail, but especially his encounter with the Silverback Tyrant," Harry said, handing it over to Dumbledore. "I wanted to put it back in its rightful place. Oh, you'll need this to get in," Harry said, taking off the Shaman's talisman that was still around his neck and hidden beneath his shirt.

He gave that to Dumbledore as well. "Dumbledore…Voldemort got into the world," Harry said.

They all gasped and Dumbledore's eyes lost their sparkle. "I got sucked in to, but I had Merlin's amulet, the one on his body, so I came back. And I destroyed the amulet," he said, taking out the pieces. "The portal closed before Voldemort could get back. Does this mean he's trapped there for good, or could he find a way back?"

Harry glanced up uncertainly, expecting Dumbledore to be angry that he had let Voldemort get inside the world. Instead, Dumbledore's eyes seemed to glimmer once again as he beamed at him.

"Harry, please do not be harsh on yourself. I believe that you have in fact found the best solution to our problems. You see, I was wondering how to destroy Voldemort. I know about how he became immortal, and knew that I had a long way to go to destroy him, and so I knew one day he might find out about the world. But truthfully, this might actually turn out to be great. You see, from my studies and my encounters with old wizards who had relatives who lived during Merlin's time and had documented a lot, I am pretty sure that the reason the Silverback Tyrants entered our world was due to an unforeseen consequence of one of Merlin's spells going wrong during the Equinox and when there was an eclipse at the same time. During the Equinox powers are a little bit stronger due to the shifting of the planets, which we all as wizards can sense a little bit here and there. So when this surge of power happened, the Tyrants probably sensed Merlin's magic and were drawn to it, thus creating a way into our world.

"If Merlin hadn't fought with the tyrant, there may be no telling if the portal could ever be closed so nicely. But Merlin found a way by using his infected blood and his power, creating amulets to better protect everybody including that world. So I believe, Harry, that Voldemort could come back if those same events occurred again. And since more magic is practiced nowadays, the Tyrants could probably sense our magic much more easily. However, that bides us a lot of time to figure out what to do should Voldemort return. The Equinox will not fall on an eclipse day for at least another 30-50 years, if I remember correctly."

"But still, the Dark Lord has not been destroyed. He has his wand there and could obtain unknown amounts of powers and abilities," an auror spoke up.

Harry bowed his head, but then suddenly his head shot up. "Wait! Dumbledore, I think I have something that can help!"

All eyes turned to him once more.

"In Merlin's journal he mentioned a plant with a purple Crystal which he thought might be the source of the world's energy, or even the Silverback Tyrant's powers. I believe this is it," Harry said, taking out the Crystal.

Moody's eyebrows rose instantly.

"This Crystal helped me in my fight against Voldemort, at least when I was in the world. I used it to summon my wand to me just by thinking of it! I don't know if it will work well or the same in our world, but perhaps we could use this crystal to create a barrier around that mountain – the one which holds the ability for the portal to open there. I assume that even if those events occurred the portal has to open in the same place, because that's where all its powers gathered before and so it could sense the remnants. What I'm trying to say is, could we create a barrier there to prevent the portal from ever opening?"

"Magnificent idea, Harry," Dumbledore said, beaming. "I have never seen anything like that, but if this Crystal possesses the ability to allow one to use magic without a wand…it may in fact be the answer to sealing off the portal forever."

"So then even if Voldemort remains powerful, or gains numerous other powers, he'll be trapped there forever and unable to come back here," Moody said, smirking. "I like this idea. Well-done, Potter!"

Harry smiled with relief. He handed the Crystal over to Dumbledore who examined it. A small spark came from the Crystal and Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with curiosity. "I have always wondered about that other world and how it could be connected to ours, but yet so different. You know, I have a theory that the world the Silverback Tyrants come from are not even of our planet. Perhaps during the Equinox as planets were shifting, perhaps somewhere on one of the planets where their world thrived, it opened a wormhole or vortex into it. I suppose similar to using a portkey only at a much, much greater distance."

"So, I could've actually been transported to another planet!" Harry exclaimed, wide-eyed.

"Perhaps. I will have to do lots of research on this Crystal to see how it works. But we have plenty of time to study it and perfect out plan. I am certain we will find a way to seal off the portal permanently, and you have made that possible, Harry," Dumbledore said warmly.

Harry smiled. "I'm glad I didn't screw things up. I thought I did when Voldemort read that journal and opened the portal…Oh, is Hogwarts alright? Have the Death Eaters given up?"

Dumbledore smiled at his abrupt change in subject. "Yes, Harry. Hogwarts if safe and I'm sure by now the Death Eaters will be fleeing, possibly to return to Voldemort's hideout for instructions."

"Only Voldemort won't be there, which means we could set up a trap and capture all his Death Eaters," Moody said.

"Indeed, Moody. Get to the Ministry and alert them of this news. We must band together at once and take advantage before Voldemort's Death Eaters figure out their master is no longer here. They will go into hiding and make it more difficult to find them," Dumbledore said.

Moody nodded and him and the other aurors apparated away. Harry sighed heavily, feeling as though his eyelids were very heavy.

"Come now, Harry, you must need some food and maybe some pumpkin juice," Dumbledore said offering his hand.

Harry took it and allowed him to help him up before Dumbledore apparated to Hogwarts.

When they appeared in the Headmaster's office, Harry was stunned. "I thought apparation wasn't possible in Hogwarts."

"I daresay I can get around my own protection spells, Harry," Dumbledore said as his eyes twinkled. "Now, lets get you something to eat and then you can go see your friends. They've been very anxious for your safety."

Harry nodded, feeling his whole body relax. Harry went down to the Great Hall with Dumbledore, who summoned an entire feast for everybody to celebrate. Professor McGonagall was in tears at seeing Harry, but no one dared to ask him any questions upon Dumbledore's firm gaze. They allowed Harry to eat without asking one question. Even Fudge was staring at Harry in wonder.

It wasn't long until Dumbledore told his friends about his return. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and even Fred and George came rushing into the Great Hall. Not many students and their families had made it to Hogwarts after getting the emergency note; most were probably at home or trying to find a sanctuary. Hermione was sobbing over him and Ron was trying his best not to get emotional. They all hugged him tightly and Harry felt content to know everything was alright.

Finally, after they all ate, Harry explained to them all what happened. Fudge's eyes had practically bugged out of his head at the mention that Voldemort was trapped and possibly never able to return. His friends asked him lots of questions, some of which he couldn't answer. Dumbledore stepped in to tell them that they had a secret weapon that Harry brought back from the other world that may seal off the portal forever, but he didn't tell them what it was for safety. He didn't want word to spread for Death Eaters were still at large. It was a secret to remain between Harry and the Order – yet another secret worth protecting and keeping only among a select few. This time, Harry was a part of it.

Pretty soon, Remus, Molly, Arthur, and many others from the Ministry arrived at Hogwarts after hearing the news about Voldemort. Harry was questioned and congratulated for a long time, but Dumbledore could tell he was tired so he sent him upstairs to get some sleep. Harry slept for about 10 hours before he woke up and remembered he had a promise with the Black Hag to fulfill.

The next day, after speaking with Dumbledore and retrieving the Ring, Harry took off toward the Black Hag's hideout, hoping she was still there. It took him a little while to get there again, but he remembered the incantation to get inside. As he entered, he noticed that everything appeared to be the same as it was when he first arrived.

"You've finally come, Harry Potter."

He wheeled around to see the Black Hag appear.

"I take it this means we are safe from the Dark Lord," she said, a warning in her tone of voice.

Harry nodded. "Yes, I've trapped him in the Silverback Tyrant's world so I doubt he'll ever return. Dumbledore's working on a way to make sure it's permanent."

"You've been to their world?" The Black Hag asked, seemingly jealous.

Harry nodded. "Yes. Here's the Ring I promised you," he said, taking it out.

The Black Hag eyed it and then with a snap of her fingers Harry's invisibility cloak appeared.

"And here is your cloak."

They exchanged items and Harry nodded to her. "Thanks for protecting my mind from Voldemort."

"It was for my own protecting, boy," she said smirking. "Nice doing business with you."

Harry smiled a little and nodded. Hopefully, he wouldn't ever have to ask for her help again. She was one tough "witch" to bargain with.

**XXXXXXX**

_Two weeks later…_

Harry felt completely at ease as he walked down to the Great Hall with Ron and Hermione. All the students were finally arriving, including the new first years. It was the start of their last year at Hogwarts and Harry had a feeling it would be the best year ever.

Dumbledore made his speech as usual, although he included a testament to Harry's defeat over Voldemort and the Great Hall erupted in cheers. Once again, Harry's fame was worldwide, or becoming that again with the news. Pretty soon Rita Skeeter would be writing another article, or someone…Rita Skeeter was currently still missing and Dumbledore suspected she was probably hiding out in her Animagus form. No doubt someone would write an article about it.

Later that night, after Harry was bombarded with questions from many students, he was able to relax in the Gryffindor Common Room with his friends. Ron and Hermione were there, as well as Dean, Neville and Seamus. Ginny and her friends had come down as well and Luna was there too, just staring off into a daze with a smile on her face.

"Dad told me they found more Death Eaters," Ron said, looking smug. "I'll bet the Malfoys will be arrested soon."

"Maybe so, but they still might let Draco back to school here," Hermione warned. "So don't go causing unnecessary trouble."

Harry smiled. "I really don't care what happens. I just can't believe that I can finally have a year without Voldemort trying to kill me."

"If you miss it, Harry, I can always try to kill you," Seamus joked.

Harry shot him a playful glare as Ron laughed in response.

"I'm sure even the new Slytherins are going to be different without the Pureblood families like Malfoy's," Hermione interjected. "That means that Slytherins will start being normal, instead of doing things Voldemort would want, like hating muggles and muggle-borns and abusing the dark arts. Soon peace will actually be possible between all houses. Of course Quidditch rivalry will never change," she smiled.

"Course not," Ron snorted.

"Poor Harry's going to be stalked for the rest of the year by his new fans though," Dean joked.

Harry groaned. "Just what I need. If it's not one thing, it's another."

"Just be grateful none of them want to kill you," Ginny piped up.

"Oh yes and I forgot to tell you that my father is actually running for Minister since Scrimageour backed down!"

"That's great, Ron," Harry said, smiling.

Suddenly, a letter flew in and floated in front of Harry's face. All of them looked puzzled and Harry smiled when he saw it was a note from Dumbledore asking him to come to his office.

"I'll be right back."

"Ok, but when you get back I want to kick your bum in Wizard's chess!" Ron exclaimed.

Harry just shook his head as he made his way to the Headmaster's office. Using the password give on the letter, Harry entered and saw Dumbledore beaming at him. Fawkes was ruffling his feathers and watching intently.

"I thought you'd like to be the first to know that I believe the Crystal you gave us will do as we hope it will. It's already showing magnificent possibilities."

Harry grinned. "That's wonderful news! Then I won't ever have to worry about Voldemort again!"

Dumbledore chuckled. "Indeed, Harry. You can finally have the life you deserve. Also, just because you never know when you'll need it, I want to still train you in Occlumency and Legimency. It might still help you decide whether you want to be an auror or not."

Harry nodded. "Are you going to train me?"

"I will train you in Legimency. However, you will have your old instructor to teach you Occlumency," he said with a glimmer in his eye.

Harry's mouth dropped open. "You can't mean Snape!"

"Professor Snape, Harry," Dumbledore corrected. "He is on our side. He's been a spy for quite some time as a double agent. I still have my brother to count on as well. He will keep his eyes open for anything like Death Eater raids. I'm sure that the Death Eaters are furious that they don't know what happened to their master."

"What if they find out?"

"There's nothing they can do, I assure you," Dumbledore said calmly.

Harry nodded. "So…how's Aberforth? Is he ever going to come visit?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "Yes, I believe he will. In fact, he was thinking about taking up a teaching position here as well as still running the pub. Of course he'll have to find some help at the pub if he teaches, but no doubt you'll be seeing more of him. I think he's quite fond of you now."

Harry smiled.

Dumbledore approached the window and Harry walked beside him. They looked out at the darkening sky as the pinks, purples and oranges of the sunset filled the sky.

"Because of you Harry, there will be brighter days ahead," Dumbledore said, smiling gently.

Smiling, Harry nodded. "I'm glad."

Dumbledore stared at him, smiling a bit strangely. "I didn't realize you had the power of a Metamorphmagus, Harry."

"Yeah, neither did I."

Dumbledore's eyes glistened. "You know, Harry, that a Metamorphmagus is rare. Tonks is the only person in several generations of wizard history to possess it, and now you. There is an old saying that to be a Metamorphmagus is to have the power to conquer anything. Because, life is a constant metamorphosis that we adapt to every day and in every generation. Without that metamorphosis, we would never evolve," Dumbledore explained. "And you, Harry, out of any person I've ever met, seem to be able to adapt to any situation you're in and somehow always come through."

Harry grinned brightly at his mentor. "I'm sure it's all thanks to your teaching."

Chuckling, Dumbledore stared back at the window. Harry stared as well, excited about what the new year would bring. And he knew, no matter happened, or no matter what other obstacles life through at him, he would indeed be able to adapt and come through just fine. After all, he had his whole life ahead of him that he could finally live to the fullest. Nothing was ever going to hold him back, nothing.

**THE END**

Author's Note:  It's finally finished! Yes! I'm so glad I was able to finish this eventually! It did take a while, but I kept my promise! Thank you all for being so patient! And I hope you enjoyed the ending!

**To Reviewers: **

**Xfighter4: **Thanks a lot! I'm glad you enjoyed it! Hopefully you enjoyed the ending as much! :-)

**Dfch: **Thanks! I'm really glad you like this story! I started it a while ago so I'm glad I didn't lose touch with it. It's finally finished! Hope you enjoyed the end!


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